


Weight of the World

by lalalalavieenrose



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe, Another Self-Indulgent Fic, Attempt at Humor, Blood and Injury, F/M, I also realized that there’s definitely a depiction of abuse, I'm Bad At Tagging, If abuse is triggering in any way, Inspired by Naruto and ATLA, Second person POV, Some Fluff, also im a bad writer, and what about it, depictions of ptsd, dont @ me if this fic is literally the exact premise of my other one, elemental powers, i am in a haikyuu drought, i have no creativity, i miss my 700 husbands, i would not recommend reading this, if you read this before I realized I am so sorry, that is entirely my fault for forgetting that, this fic is gonna be full of swears, this is a happy endings household
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-01
Updated: 2020-10-27
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:36:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 41,249
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25642909
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lalalalavieenrose/pseuds/lalalalavieenrose
Summary: You were told from the moment that you lost everything,"Do not be selfish. You serve this world first."But you don't think hands that were that small were meant to hold such a burden.
Relationships: Ushijima Wakatoshi/Reader
Comments: 33
Kudos: 82





	1. prologue

They say that Humans were made from the Gods themselves.

They say that Humans were born in the image of Gods. And although they would not possess the power of their Creators, they would inherit their best characteristics. They were made to be brilliant, and courageous. They were made to be tender, and empathetic. They were made to be loving, and kind. And when they first stepped upon the Earth's soil, the Gods adored them.

Yet Humans were one of the frailest creatures that existed in the world. They were not equipped with physical traits to survive. They were not the fastest, not the biggest, not the strongest of any of the Gods' creations. They did not have claws that rip, teeth that tear, venom that kills, nor fur to keep warm. The Gods believed their most dear creation would fade from existence just as fast as it had come.

However, Humans continued to survive in a world where everything seemed to be against them.

Because although they were frail and weak, they were passionate and driven. They fought to survive. They banded together, they created tools, and took down creatures much stronger than them. They did not cower in the face of adversity, and instead seemed to thrive despite the harsh environments.

They had families, and many would come together to form a tribe. Leaders began to emerge from the tribes, helping them prosper even more. Together they hunted, and foraged. They even domesticated other creatures. And though it may not have not been the luxurious lifestyle of a God, they were surviving.

Humans defied their extinction.

And the Gods, impressed and enamoured by their feeble little creations, wanted to gift them something for their perseverance.

The Gods altered the bodies of Humans. They modified nerves, flows and connections in order for them to be able to accept the gift of the Gods. And eventually, Humans were able to harness their chakras and were gifted the ability to release it in the form of one of the five elements.

Earth. Water. Fire. Wind. Light.

Suddenly, they were the most powerful of all the God's creations. Their intelligence allowed them to use their new gift in ways even the Gods could not imagine. They were incredible in a way the Gods could not have foreseen.

Eventually, tribes began to join together according to their element-type. They began to form ideologies. Societies were forming based off the capabilities of their chakra natures. Allegiances began to form between tribes who shared the same element-type.

The Humans recognized that some elements were weaker to others. This knowledge influenced feelings of superiority. This bred fear. And from this fear, hatred festered.

This should have been a warning for the Gods.

As tribes grew in size, so did the need to expand hunting territory. This often meant that territories began to overlap. The feelings of unease and mistrust of others of a different element-type often lead to battle. And battle often lead to death.

Each death increased the tension between tribes and element-types. And the Gods could sense the ominous feeling that settled across the lands. Something was brewing between their beloved Humans, and the Gods would not know when it would all spill over. The Gods were unsure as to what they should do. None of their previous creations had killed each other at such a scale. And though the Gods loved to learn of the things their creations could do, they feared what Humans were capable of.

It was the death of a Water Tribe Chief at the hands of a group of Lightning Tribe hunters that sparked the Gods' worst nightmare.

War broke out. It was a catastrophe influenced by fear, revenge, selfishness, and greed.

The Gods could not believe that such resilient being were destroying themselves. That the destruction of Humans would be at their own hands. Their beloved creations who had done nothing but impress them with their unyielding strength and seemingly endless love, were also capable of feeling such hatred.

How could their precious creatures do this to themselves?

As The War raged on between Humans, the Gods gathered together. They were desperate to solve the problem of the Humans. They wanted it to end. They wanted their greatest creation to stop.

And it would take months for the Gods to come to a consensus.

It was decided that a common enemy would unite the Humans. Because before they were given a gift, they battled against the once stronger environment together. There was nothing that could divide them. Not appearance, not abilities, not a gift given after their bodies were changed. They banded together, and the strong protected the weak and the vulnerable. Those who were not as strong could provide what the strong lacked.

To return Humans to their previous condition, the Gods created what could be best described as a beast. It was incredibly powerful and could even survive an attack from a God. They were made to be weak against certain element-types. Once perfected, the Gods spread them across the land.

And it would take months before The War was postponed because Humans were dying more to these beasts than they were at their own hands. Councils would have meetings not to discuss war strategies, but to discuss their newfound enemy. When they learned of the beasts' weaknesses, meetings were centred around the possibilities of forming a truce with other tribes just to combat against these beasts.

Once again Humans began to band together, fighting against the new threat. They worked together, and Warriors of different tribes would move into other villages to help combat against the beasts. Slowly, the numbers of the beasts began to drop.

There had been a great celebration when the Humans drove the remaining beasts into hiding. All the Tribes came together to celebrate their victory. Chiefs and Councils met together to sign treaties. A High Council with a Head Chief was formed. Marriages were arranged. Secret lovers revealed themselves. Those who opposed were banished. Eventually, Tribes were no longer separated by element-type. Soon the humans lived in peace.

And in this time of peace, more children were brought into this world.

Most children inherited the ability to release their chakra. If their parents had different nature-types, than they would only inherit one. As settlements expanded and societies became more complex, training children to use their element became a priority. Especially since the few beasts could not be located, it was important that their children would be able to defend themselves if needed.

And they were right to take this precaution.

The beasts returned, and although their strength was unchanged, their weakness had.

In hiding, they bred, and they slowly changed with each new beast. As opposed to being weak to two or three elements, they were weak to one. With some beasts, the weakness to a single element was not even that great. Humans began dying out once more.

The Humans prayed to the Gods, and begged for their help as numbers dwindled. Yet the Gods refused. This— unlike their war— was only natural. Humans and the beasts both had children, but the offspring of the beasts progressed more in strength. If the Humans wished to survive they would have to do it on their own. No matter how much the Gods favoured them, they could not protect them from everything.

However, one of the lesser Gods could not help but concede to the whims of the Humans. This God loved the Humans unconditionally. This God did not want them to disappear, and so the God answered the prayer of the Humans.

A child was born, with the ability to control all five elements. He was the younger of two brothers, and it would take him his whole life to be able to properly use his gift, but eventually he would have the strength of a weak God. He was capable of defeating the beasts with a weakness to a single element. From his loving nature, to his willingness to protect all Tribes, he attracted the support of all sorts of people. Others would follow him as they raided the nests of the beasts, eventually driving them to near extinction.

He was eventually seen as a beacon of hope. He was seen as the leader of all Warriors. He was a protector of Humankind. He was titled, 'Dai.' However, his ability to control all five elements would not be passed onto his children.

Regardless, the Humans praised the God that saved them, and this angered the others. They forbade the God from making any more humans with the ability to control all five elements. They threatened the life of the God. However, this God was committed to the future of the Humans. The God's last act before dying at the hands of the others was to allow the legacy of the Dai to continue throughout the rest of time.

There was no pattern to who was chosen. Nearly every Dai had lived a long fulfilling life. They would protect the peace in the world. They say that the Dai could feel when the next was born, and then they would dedicate the rest of their lives to the next Dai. They would help train them so that they could be a hero worthy of their powers.

But perhaps the burden of the greatest protector would far outweigh the pride of such a title.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i've actually had the concept for this world for like a year or so now and was actually going to use this for a completely different fandom and pairing but here we are.
> 
> so like just know that i wrote the prologue at like 3am so don't expect the lore to be completely coherent because my notes are just a Mess
> 
> talk to me on [tumblr](https://llllver.tumblr.com)


	2. runaway

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the world needs you, but you left.

_You stare down at the man lying down in his bed._

_Technically this is the man that raised you. He spent years watching you grow. He dedicated his final years cultivating you into the supposedly perfect Dai. You were raised to fill his role once he passed._

_But how much time during these past nine years did he actually spend raising you?_

_He did not eat with you or cook for you. He did not tuck you into bed at night. He did not help you when nightmares would plague you. He didn't do anything when you would wake up in the middle of the night, crying for people you would never see again._

_You were eight years old when he saved you._

_You were eight years old when you lost everything. You were eight years old when he told you to forget about your family and move on. You were eight years old and still crying for your parents. You were eight years old and he told you that you had bigger things to worry about. You were eight years old and you were told to hold back your emotions._

_But it didn't get easier as you grew._

_Most of your life was spent getting scolded when you didn't meet his seemingly impossible expectations. Instead of being lenient with you, he was harsh. His tongue was dipped in venom as he snarled at you, telling you you weren't good enough. Other masters would compliment you, but he would counter with some kind of comment on your form or some minuscule thing that you could refine when you had better control over your body because you were just a child._

_He never laid a single finger on you, but his words were just as piercing as any physical blow._

_So why? Why were you crying for him? You hated this man who had never shown you an ounce of love or empathy. Who never showed that he gave a single damn about your wellbeing. Why were you shedding tears over him again?_

_It's not fair. He wasn't fair._

_His grey eyes slowly open as he looks up at you, blinking owlishly._

_"Crying again? That's not something a Dai should do," he croaks, and you roll your eyes, trying to wipe them away, but unable to hold back a sob._

_"You're going to be cruel, even on your deathbed?" You choke out. "You stupid old man."_

_"I'm only 30," he corrects you, and you laugh in disbelief._

_"You are the worst," you tell him._

_"I know." He lets out a heavy sigh sighs, eyes fluttering close. "I am entrusting you with this world. You have to protect it. That is your duty as the Dai, kid. You put the world's needs before your own."_

_You snort, wiping your tears away. "Fuck you."_

* * *

Murmurs spread across the room in waves. Warriors question their reason for being here. It's rare for this many Warriors to be collected in one room. The only time this happens is when preparing for war. And the last time there had been any kind of major conflict was the civil war nineteen years ago. The same war that had left his father crippled.

However, there is no unrest in Earth Country.

There is no rebellion that Warriors are sent out to quietly smother. There are no whispers of staging a coup against the Sougen Council. There are no rumours of a possible assassination. There is nothing speaking of invading the High Council's meetings. There are no crimes against immigrants from other Tribes.

Silence fills the room as the Representative of Sougen, High Chief, and Chief of Bokujou Village walk into the room. They all bow, forming into the clean formations that had been ingrained into all of them since their days in the Academy. They all kneel, eyes focused on the three important figures in front of them.

"Thank you for coming. I will try not to take too much of your time, but I request that you all listen carefully to what I am about to tell you. I ask that you remain calm and refrain from making any comments. Am I understood?" The High Chief asks, and they all nod in unison. "The High Council has come together for an emergency meeting at the request of the Representative of Tougen. He has informed us something that the Tougen Tribe has been keeping a secret from the rest of the Tribes. He has gone against the wishes of the Tougen Council because he fears that this problem they are facing is far beyond their capabilities. The Beasts have made a return in Water Country, and their numbers are overwhelming. Tougen Tribe are continuously losing small villages. He requested the help of the Dai, and we had to reveal our own secrets, which we must now share with you."

The room is still silent despite the questions on everyone's tongues.

"As you know, we had to keep and train the current Dai here in Bokujou Village. She was not safe in her home country as Opposers were trying to kill her. To protect her, her name nor her face were ever revealed, and she was never allowed to leave the Academy's premises. The current Dai was monitored closely by the previous Dai. However, when Dai Tanji passed six years ago, the current Dai had run off during the night." The silence that fills the room is palpable, but the High Chief pushes through. "We could not reveal this. The world was already mourning the loss of Dai Tanji, and revealing that the current Dai had disappeared would plunge the world into chaos. Only a select group of Warriors knew about this, and were tasked with trying to find the current Dai to no avail. And now that the world needs her, it is imperative that we find the Dai. This is what we are asking of you."

The High Chief steps back, as the Chief of Bokujou steps forward, holding a large scroll in his hand. He holds onto one end, letting it unravel to reveal a rather youthful face.

However, the expression in your eyes do not reflect it.

There's something somber lingering in those eyes. There is a slight downturn at the corner of those lips. Your hair is styled beautifully, pinned back with a small ornament. There isn't a single thing that is out of place, and yet they have never seen someone look so exhausted.

"This is a painting of Dai (y/n) from six years ago," he explains. "She had taken to her training rather quickly. Her control over the elements is astounding. Some of you are the same age as her, but she could best Masters before you even graduated. She could even control the elements without her hands. And now that six years have passed, we have no idea as to how she has changed."

"She is possibly one of the most powerful Dai. She could bring down an entire army at the time of Dai Tanji's passing. There's no telling what she can do now. We have no idea what she has been up to these past six years. We don't know if she's been practicing. If she's gotten stronger," the Chief continues. "To put it bluntly, she's one of the most powerful Dai in existence."

As he pins the scroll to the wall, the Representative of Sougen steps forward.

"The Warriors of every country will be informed of this. This is not information that will be shared with the public. You have been split into groups of five. Each member of the squad will have all element-types. Some of you will be searching here in Earth Country, some of you will be working in other countries." She explains, looking around the room. "I ask that you cooperate. We need the Dai before the terror of the Beasts continues to spread. We need her before any other problem can arise. I am begging you, please bring her home."

***

Ushijima bows before his three other group members as he steps onto the boat.

"So you're the great Wakatoshi? The Young Giant? Son of one of the greatest Warriors in Earth Country history." The red-haired man, Tendō Satori says, curious smile on his lips. "What an honour to be in the presence of such an esteemed Warrior. And to be lead by him no less. We're lucky, don't you think?" He nudges the man next to him, Ōhira Reon.

"I guess so," Ōhira says, humouring the light-user.

"It's a little strange considering that we will have a native from Wind Country, but I'm sure that he was chosen for a reason," the fire-user, Semi Eita, adds, looking Ushijima over. He pats Ushijima on the shoulder. "Lead us well, Captain."

"Of course," Ushijima replies with a bow of his head.

They all settle in the boat. Ushijima sits down on one of the benches, feeling a little uneasy. He always felt uncomfortable on the water. Probably because on the open seas he is so far from the earth. Contrarily, Ōhira seems completely at ease standing and leaning against the railing with a small smile as he enjoys the salty, sea air. But Ushijima does not complain.

The boat begins to pull away from the dock, the crew shouting to each other as they set off for Wind Country.

"Isn't it crazy how the Sougen Council kept it a secret that the Dai ran away? Can you believe that she ran away at all? What did she even have to run away from anyways? We're living in an era of peace, minus the whole Beasts returning thing," Tendō says, leaning against the railing of the boat.

Semi shushes him. "Be quiet. No one else besides the Warriors know about the condition of the current Dai."

"But aren't you curious? Why would she run away after the Dai had died? I mean sure, she had to become the Dai at 17, which is earlier than most of the Dai before her, but it's not like she had a lot to do. Dai Tanji rarely left Earth Country," Tendō points out.

"That's because he was busy training her. Everyone knows that Dai Tanji was going to die much earlier than any other Dai, so he wanted to make sure that she was prepared to take on her role. However, he was limited since she wasn't allowed to leave the Academy," Ushijima explains. "If Dai Tanji ever had to leave, it was never more than a few days."

"She wasn't allowed to leave the Academy?" Ōhira questions, and Ushijima shakes his head.

"Did you know her personally?" Semi asks, and again Ushijima shakes his head. Semi frowns at that. "Why?"

"Their lessons were always private. We didn't even know what she looked like. Not to say that people didn't try to catch a glimpse, but then they were always found out before they could actually see her." Ushijima explains. "The only time we knew that she was training in a certain element was when Masters from different countries would come to the Academy."

"That sounds kind of sad," Tendō points out, and Ushijima tilts his head, not quite understanding why he would say such a thing. "Never getting to hang out with kids your age? Constantly sheltered? Sounds overbearing and lonely. No wonder she ran away."

A silence comes over all of them, as they take in his words.

"Do you think she has friends now though?" He asks, sounding just as content as he had before. "I really want to know what she's gotten up to over the past six years. Like do you think she's just quietly fulfilling her role as the Dai and keeping the peace? Or do you think she settled down and became a farmer or something? Like maybe she has a cute little family, and she's just happily raising a baby."

"A farmer?" Semi snorts, shaking his head, a disbelieving smile on his lips.

"I personally think that it is not a bad choice. It is hard work, but your efforts will almost always be rewarded. Everything that you cultivate, and take the time and effort to care for will flourish. It seems like a nice life," Ushijima responds, surprising the others. "If I had not become a Warrior, I would have probably become a farmer."

"Those are quite different paths," Ōhira comments. "Why did you choose to become a Warrior?"

His father's kind smile flashes in his mind.

_"Wakatoshi, we have a gift. Because of this gift we can be so strong and powerful, and isn't that amazing? But there are people who do not have our gift. But we can share our gift by protecting them. That's why I'm a Warrior. It's not for fame or for fortune. It's to be a hero."_

He thinks of how that smile hadn't changed, even after he had lost the ability to use his legs.

_"I know I'm not as strong as I used to be, that I won't ever be as strong as I used to be, but I am thankful that I got the chance to share my gift. I am glad that I got to protect people who needed a hero. I hope you'll still consider me your hero."_

"Well I have been gifted with the power to release my chakra. Surely I should put this gift to use and protect the others around me," Ushijima replies, firmly.

His answer stuns the others, who blink at him incredulously.

"So noble!" Tendō suddenly exclaims, patting rather roughly on the back, but Ushijima does not budge. "And don't give up on your dream of becoming a farmer, Wakatoshi. You can always do that after you retire."

"I suppose so."

Ushijima eventually bids them all farewell as he goes to the lower decks towards his assigned room. The rocking of the boat makes him feel uncomfortable. It's still daunting knowing that if they came across pirates, he would essentially be useless. Every time he instinctively tries to reach out for the earth, he cannot feel it.

He sits down on the bed in the room. He lies back, holding his hands behind his head as he stares up at the ceiling.

He hadn't really questioned your motive for running away, but Tendō made him curious. What _did_ you have to run from? Why would you ever abandon your responsibilities as the Dai? Why would you ever forsake this world when you were born with the ability to protect it? If he were in your shoes, he would have done everything in his power to become the Dai that this world needed.

But he does not know you. He does not know the effort that you put into your training. Despite the fact that you had abandoned your duties, three of the most influential people in the Earth Country still spoke highly of you.

But they praised your skills, not your character.

He glances at the smaller print of the painting of you.

Who are you?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CHAPTER IS UNEDITED
> 
> this chapter is deceptively short,,,
> 
> just like please understand that i don't understand pacing or what i want. i'm also trying to transition from the writing style i've been using for WBH for the writing style i want for this fic
> 
> like high key this fic is gonna be so garbo and none of the plot points will make sense and i am so sorry but this is a self indulgent fic with little to no actual grasp of the plot i originally wanted
> 
> talk to me on [tumblr](https://llllver.tumblr.com)


	3. nomad

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> you were just passing by.

"Man, I hope we find anything in this village at least. It's been three days, and we still haven't found a single clue," Tendō sighs, as he holds his hands against the back of his hand.

"It could be worse. We could have been those Warriors who found nothing after six years," Semi replies, and Tendō's arms drop as he huffs.

"You're really killing my mood, Semi-Semi," he grumbles.

"Do not call me that."

Ushijima tunes out the others as they walk to the nearest village.

He can understand where Tendō is coming from. It's difficult to not be restless after the days of inactivity and dead-ends. There was no indication that you had passed through. Every person they showed the picture to, claimed to have never seen you. Some curious people would ask if it was a criminal they were looking for.

That confused him slightly.

Could they not see that you were tired? You looked like someone who had too much on your plate. You didn't look angry. You didn't look dangerous. You looked like a kid. A kid that was asked to do too much.

To be frank, he looks more like a threat than you do in that picture.

"There it is!" Tendō exclaims. "Let's stop by a food stand so we can eat something. Have you ever been to this village before, Hayato? Have any recommendations?"

However, before Yamagata can speak there's a shrill scream.

The five of them immediately burst into action, running through the open gates of the village.

There's a crowd gathered in the centre of the Village next to a pond. They all cower back from a group of four men. A cloaked figure stands in front of the crowd of villagers, almost protectively. The navy cloak is long and large. It covers the person's clothes, and nearly reaches the ground, barely revealing the person's boots. The hood is just as big, and covers most of the person's features.

"You should be careful, little girl. You don't want to bite off more than you can chew," one of the men says.

"But if she wants to challenge us, why not give it to her?" Another one of the men speaks up, grinning almost salaciously. "I think we should teach her a lesson on picking her battles, Lee."

The first man grins. "That doesn't sound like too bad of an idea, Ito. You can start us off.”

With the movement of a hand, water rises out from the pond. It is quickly hardened into a ball of ice, and is promptly sent flying towards the cloaked figure. She raises her hand slowly. The ball of ice shatters against the side of it, and she moves her free hand. The shattered ice immediately returns to the state of water. With the elegant movement's of the cloaked figure's hand, the water is formed into a ball right in her palm. She walks towards the pond, turning her hand, and dropping the ball in the pond.

Ushijima is not a water-user, but he knows precise control when he sees it. That kind of skill takes years to master. Whoever this cloaked figure is, she is extremely skilled. And if she is who he thinks she is, then the Gods must be smiling down on them. Or maybe not. The Gods never did like—

"Do you guys think that she's—"

"I don't like to repeat myself, but I think that you might be too stupid to understand. Leave this village at once, and never return," the cloaked figure says, sounding as if she isn't going to leave any room for argument. "I am only so willing to give chances. And you've already used one."

"Are we supposed to be scared 'cause you did a fancy little trick with the water, sweetheart?" Another one of the men coos mockingly.

"I didn't tell you to be afraid of me. I told you to leave," she speaks firmly.

"And why should we listen to you? You're just some traveler with some skills with their element."

"Are you really so sure that you have a full grasp of my capabilities?" The cloaked figure hums. She then turns to face the villagers. "Please find some shelter. I don't want any of you to get hurt when I put these men in their rightful places."

"Behind you!" One of the women shrieks.

The cloaked figure turns just in time to see a torpedo of water being sent towards her. Her palm juts out, and the current of water immediately splashes outwards. It makes Ushijima think of wild waves hitting against the rocks off the coast of Earth Country. Some of the water rains down on her as the villagers begin to run off to find shelter.

Lee shoots off flames towards one of the groups of villagers, but a wall of water rises from the pond, and cuts off the blast of fire. A rock is sent flying towards the cloaked figure, but a wave of water rises from the pond, wrapping around the rock and freezing it in place. She doesn't flinch, even though it is inches from her face.

The cloaked figure steps back as Lee jumps off from the top of the rock. He swings at her with blasts of fire that she dodges with ease. Every time he punches, she brings up a disc of ice to block the blow, though he manages to shatter through each one. She bring up another disc as Lee punches at her with another flaming fist. However, before he can even make contact with the disc, the ice melts into water and wraps around his fist. Lee grunts as his hand is moved against his own control and is brought behind his back. A stream of water shoots out from the pond. It suddenly wraps around his other hand, and brings that one behind his back. The restraints pull him down onto his knees. Before anyone can react, the cloaked figure jabs the tips of her fingers into the fire-user's solar plexus, and he lets out a wheeze before he slumps forward.

The cloaked figure barely dodges a blade of air as it is sent towards her, but the force of it is enough to knock her hood back.

Ushijima recognizes you almost immediately.

You fight with a blank expression on your face. In fact, you look almost _bored_. You are fighting against four— well, technically three— people, and yet you seem completely unaffected.

You dodge the attacks from the wind-user with ease. When he sends a wide blade towards you, you jump, twisting your body in the air, landing in a low crouch. You sweep your hand forwards, but unlike your soft movement, water shoots out at a violent speed, knocking the wind-user back into a tree. The water freezes, pinning him to the tree.

Ito and the earth-user both begin to attack you simultaneously, but you continue to fight them off steadily. You block Ito's attacks almost effortlessly. The earth-user continues to throw large rocks at you, but you dodge them with ease, even when you are looking away from him. The water-user sends another wave towards you, but you immediately take control of it, and send it curving around you as it catches the rock sent your way.

Suddenly chains of water come rising out of the ground, and wrap around your wrists. You immediately turn your head towards the earth-user, mouth opening up. A mist comes out from your mouth, and suddenly the earth-user's entire body is covered in frost. He grunts as he tries to free himself, but he is at a loss when he can't. You turn to face Ito.

He charges at you, though he keeps his focus on making sure that you don't break out of your chains. However, you don't seem bothered as you fight him off. You use your forearms to block his attacks, but use your legs for your own. You sweep your leg out towards him, and he leans back barely dodging it. However, the lapse in concentration makes it easy for you to break free from the chains.

You watch in fascination as he suddenly pulls all of the water out of the pond. The strain is apparent as he grits his teeth and furrows his eyebrows. His arms are shaking from the effort it takes to pull out. But he doesn't use it to attack you. He lets it fall to the ground, allowing the earth to absorb the water.

"Good luck trying to fight me without water to use," he smirks at you, as he pulls out a sword. "Let's see how well you can do now."

You smirk. "What do you mean no water to use?" You ask, as you raise both of your hands, closing your eyes in concentration.

It starts with the small droplets of water on the grass slowly rising up, and then from the earth, drop by drop, water that should have been absorbed by the dirt slowly rises. You begin to make circles over your head with your arms. The droplets slowly begin to spin around you, forming together. More drops of water rise from the ground until the water that he had tried to get rid of spins around you in a ring. You move your arms towards him in a large sweeping motion, and the ring splits into several streams charging right for him. His eyes are wide and his sword clatters as he drops it on the ground.

He lets out a grunt as the water sweeps him away, knocking him into a house. For the first time since the fight had began, you wince. Albeit at the sound of a scream from whoever is inside, but it's a wince nonetheless.

You spin on your heel as you look towards Lee, who slowly stands up, a burning fury in his eyes. You regard him blankly, waiting to see what he would do. You don't even get into a defensive stance as he winds his arm back, but when his fist comes flying forward, no fire follows.

He looks at his hand down in shock, and tries again, but still nothing.

"What did you do to me?" He shouts, equal parts angry and frightened.

"I blocked your chakra flow," you speak casually, as if you hadn't done something absolutely terrifying. "You can't release your chakra."

"You, _bitch_! How could you have done that to me?" He snarls, despite the fear in his eyes. "Who are you? Some kind of Frost runaway?"

"It's only temporarily. And I'd certainly appreciate if you didn't associate me with an anarchist organization," you reply, wish a shrug of your shoulders. Then your eyes narrow at him. "But why do you speak as if you don't deserve to have the privilege that you've been blessed with taken away?"

Though your voice is soft and inquisitive, your eyes are burning with underlying anger. It makes him quake. You slowly make your way towards him. Your eyes follow him as he slowly trips back, scrambling to get away from you.

"I have been living as a nomad for years. I'm well aware of the criminals running amuck. I know the Four Horsemen, although you were formerly known as the Five Horsemen until your leader was subdued by a wind-user when you all tried to attack a village in Fire Country. I really thought you would have taken advantage of the chance you had been given," you say, looking down at him. "And yet here you are."

"H-how do you know that?" He asks, fear dripping from his every word.

"I know many things, Lee," you reply, as you blow out mist from you lips. You watch as frost coats his whole body. "I know things you would not even have a hope of understa—"

Suddenly, the water-user charges at you again, now holding his sword. A wall of rock rises between the two of you. You hear the dull thud of him running into it. You slowly look over at the five Warriors who had just been standing there, watching. As the wall disappears, you look over at the five of them, ignoring the unconscious body at your feet.

"So you finally stepped in? I'm so thankful," you sarcastically say. You bow towards them, mockingly.

"I know you could have handled it," the one in Sougen's colours says. Though you know that none of the students had ever seen you, you can't help but feel suspicious of him.

In fact, you can't help but feel like something is off about this entire situation. These are five Warriors from different tribes. They are all giving you knowing looks and you feel unsettled.

"Young lady, we must thank you for saving our village. Please tell me how we can repay you, and we will give it without hesitation," the Chief tells you, smiling at you with a kind smile.

You shake your head. "I don't need anything." You tell him, though you don't offer him a smile in response.

"But how could we ever repay you?" He asks, but you just wave him off.

"I don't need anything," you repeat. "I'm not really one for worldly possessions or taking things from a village that is already struggling to make ends meet."

"So you're like a minimalist?" You glare at the Warrior from the Takayama Tribe. They've always been the more confrontational ones. Always speaking their minds. "Oh? That's a scary look."

"Thanks, I get it from my mom," you tell him dryly, before you turn your attention back to the Chief of the village, making sure that your expression has softened. "Thank you for the offer, but I'll be on my way now. I'm sure these Warriors will be able to help you with properly apprehending and arresting those four. Enjoy your day," you finish with a small smile, as you pull the up the hood of your cloak.

The Five Warriors share looks between each other as they begin to collect the four criminals. They glance over at you, as you refill the pond with water, before you head to the exit of the village.

"We can't just leave these villagers with these criminals. We have no clue how long the fire-user's chakra flow will be disrupted. However, there should be a patrol passing by this village in thirty minutes." Yamagata quietly explains. "But, I think even thirty minutes would be enough time to lose her."

"Tendō, go distract her," Ushijima mutters almost immediately.

The red-haired Warrior gives a salute, before he heads towards the village gates. "You got it, Captain."

"Do you think he'll be okay by the time that patrol comes?"

"Probably. She's the Dai, right? It's not like she's going to kill him."

"Yeah, but it's Tendō."

"Fair point."

Though he doesn't know you, Ushijima trusts that you won't bring harm to Tendō.

Probably.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> bro idk what the heck i am doing i am just spitting words straight out my butt
> 
> talk to me on [tumblr](https://llllver.tumblr.com)


	4. convince

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> you don't make things easy.

As soon as the patrol that Yamagata had mentioned had arrived, they had immediately taken off in search of both you and Tendō.

It wasn't hard to follow the paths that you had taken. Tendō had marked the trees. Yamagata rolled his eyes when he first spotted the symbol of the Takayama Tribe etched into the trunks of trees.

The four of them freeze when Tendō appears in front of them in a blinding flash.

"I have good news and bad news," he says, smiling at them brightly. "The good news is I distracted her pretty well, and made sure to make it super easy for you guys to find us. The bad news is now she's really mad."

Suddenly, the tree next to them is impaled with spears of ice.

"If you won't shut your mouth, then I will do it for you," they hear, as you run towards them through the trees.

Ushijima brings up a wall to at least slow you down, but you jump up and off it as it rises up. You sweep your hands outwards. The spears of ice melt into water and pin Ushijima, Yamagata and Tendō to different trees by their wrists and ankles. You take a fighting stance as you look at both Ōhira and Semi. Your eyes dart between the two of them, and then you charge forwards.

Immediately the three of you are locked in hand to hand combat, with you on the offensive. Despite having more targets to face, you don't seem to struggle. In fact Semi and Ōhira seem to be having trouble defending against you. You jump between them with ease. Ushijima keeps his eyes trained on the fight, noting that you're moving nearly as quick as a light-user. Semi barely brings up his arms up in time to block your kick. You twist in the air and as soon as you land you jump towards Ōhira, winding your arm back. Ushijima eyes narrow in on your feet and note that as you make your way towards Semi, the ground beneath your feet lifts you up slightly, adding more propulsion to your jump.

His eyebrow quirks seeing the subtle way that you shift your foot to control the earth. It had taken him years to master that kind of subtlety, and yet he does not think he could execute it with such fine control. Then he realizes that although one of his feet is off the ground, the other is firmly planted. He keeps his eyes trained on you, and just before you land, he shifts his foot, and he watches as the earth begins to escalate up towards you, and before you can jump towards Semi once more, a wall has risen between the two of you. Your head whips towards Ushijima, glaring right at him. He shifts his foot again, and from the wall, another one branches. You barely dodge as you flip over it. Your upper lip curls as you sneer at him.

The moment of distraction is enough time for Ōhira to turn their restraints into water. The water immediately wraps around his arms, and he gets into a fighting stance. Tendō and Yamagata also get into their respective fighting stances. However, all eyes fall on Ushijima when he raises his hand.

"We do not want to harm you," he tells you bluntly, staring straight into your eyes to convince you of his sincerity.

"And how can I be so sure? The Five Horsemen are like the five of you. Am I supposed to trust you just because you're Warriors?" You ask, eyes now blank of all fury as you try and mask your emotions. "Though most Warriors can be trusted, there are some who cannot. How am I supposed to believe you?"

"I understand that you do not trust us, but please understand that our goal is not to harm you. We simply wish to bring you back to Sougen."

But perhaps that is the wrong sentence say, because you tense up almost immediately. In a flash, you jump up into the trees, and start running off.

"Ōhira, Tendō, and Yamagata. Follow her," Ushijima commands. "Semi, come with me."

Yamagata swings his arms down and a burst of air sends him up into the trees. Ōhira uses the water whips on his arms to hook onto a branch and swing himself up. In quick flashes, Tendō jumps up between the trunks of trees to get up in branches. The two remaining members on the ground begin to run below, barely glimpsing your cloak as you run through the branches of the trees.

"Semi, when you can, try and slow her down. Don't worry about starting a forest fire. Ōhira will be able to prevent them," Ushijima tells the fire-user.

You don't look back as you run between the trees, jumping from branch to branch. You can sense the chakra of three of them behind you. You glance down briefly when you sense the other two below you. You frown when the earth-user picks up speed as he starts to pull off far ahead of you. However, any concern over him disappears when you hear the sound of fire, making you stop in your tracks. You watch as the blast of fire shoots past you, feeling the heat, before the leaves above you catch fire.

However, you don't bother to put it out. The water-user can do it instead.

You're much more focused on trying to get away.

The Sougen Warrior's words had struck fear in you. Bring you back to Sougen? How could they have even known? You had escaped as soon as the old man had kicked the bucket. You were banking on the Council never saying a single word about your disappearance, lest they invoke pure chaos. It had been six years since you left. Why would they say anything about it now? This whole situation is sketchy, and you need to leave.

You barely dodge another blast of fire, frowning in annoyance as you realize that the others behind you are starting to catch up to you.

You begin to run again, but then you feel something in the distance. It feels like an immense amount of chakra being released. You frown, not understanding what it could possibly be. Then you can feel that same chakra pass you by, hearing the sound of the earth shifting. It happens again on the other side, and your frown gets deeper.

"What the hell is going—" you cut yourself as you grab onto one of the branches above you to stop in place.

Even before you had left, you had the maps of every country memorized. You know them by heart. You know every forest, every river, every temple, every village. You know everything that is on the maps. But this mountain. This is not characteristic of Wind Country's forest biomes. This mountain is man-made. You can tell by the chakra that emanates from it. But who could have—

You get tackled out of the tree, and you curse yourself for getting distracted by a stupid mountain.

However, before you can collide with the ground, the person who tackles you throws their hand out, and the sudden gust of air they create slows down your fall, and he shifts the two of you so that you land on your feet. You push him off you, pressing your back against the face of the mountain as you glare at the four of them.

The earth-user suddenly lands between the four of them, staring at you blankly. You glare at him, crouching down as you get into a fighting stance.

"How do you know who I am?" You snarl, eyes darting between all of them. "What do you want from me?"

"We just want to bring you back," he tells you, holding his hands out, and you would have laughed at the absurdity of the sentence if not for the fact that he raised his hands and could strike at anytime.

When he sees your stance, his hands drop back to his side immediately. He looks to the others, and they all do the same. It does not make you feel better. You still feel cornered.

"I'm not going back," you tell him, not relaxing at all.

"We can't leave without you," he replies. His stare is so intense, it feels as if he is staring directly into your soul.

"You will," you snap at him, glaring.

The six of you are at a standoff. You're stubborn. However, those from the Sougen Tribe are known for how immovable they are. While you were like a bull, the Sougen Tribe are like mountains. And with such a firm leader on their side, you doubt that the other four will concede.

The realization makes you sigh, as you straighten up. You shake your head, before you look back at them. "You really won't leave me alone unless I come with you?"

All you get is a nod in response.

"Fine." You don't mean for the word to come out with as much vitriol as it does. You don't apologize for it. "If you want me to come with you, then you'll have to beat me in a fight. If you win, I'll come with you. If I win, you'll let me leave, and you won't follow me."

"A fight to settle things, huh?" The light-user hums, looking awfully gleeful. "I like her."

"Of course you do," the fire-user mutters, rolling his eyes. You resonate with him.

"What are your stipulations?" The earth-user asks.

"Since you know who I am, there is no point in me holding back," you reply, with a shrug of your shoulders. You lean down, and start to unlace your boots. "You'll have a better chance working together to try and take me down. I'll take all of you on at once."

Your eyebrow quirks up when the earth-user begins to do the same. You peel off your socks, tucking them into your boots before throwing them to the side. The grass is soft beneath your feet. You can feel the hum of the earth better. You can feel the heartbeats of the Warriors before you. Their hearts beat rapidly, telling you just how nervous they actually are despite their relatively relaxed demeanour.

"Isn't it cheating to do something like that?" The red-haired man asks you, smirk on his face.

"I said I wasn't going to hold back," you respond, before gesturing to their earth-user. "And he's doing the same."

"We're facing the Dai," said earth-user states. It's been a long time since you've been referred to by your title. It makes discomfort settle in your stomach. "We need every advantage we can get."

The light-user's hand suddenly shoots out, and you barely get your own hand out in time to redirect the lightning into the mountain. You get into a fighting stance, hands raised. He appears in front of you in a blinding flash, and he swings at you. You block him with your forearm. You knock his arm away, and go for your own punch with a flaming fist, but he disappears in another flash.

"Tendō, what are you doing?" The fire-user exclaims.

"Wakatoshi said it himself. We need to take every advantage, and that includes making the first move, even if your opponent isn't ready. This isn't a regulated battle. There's no one to give the signal to begin. We have to take it into our own hands," he replies, eyes trained on you.

"As expected from someone from Takayama Tribe," you sarcastically croon. "Always ready for a fight?"

"What can I say?" he says with a shrug of his shoulders, before he gives you a manic grin. "We're savages. From our marriage rituals to our tournaments. Fighting is in our blood."

You swing your arms down, and air shoots you up into the air to avoid his next charge. You punch several times, balls of fire flying towards the five of them. Most of them dodge, but the water-user uses his whips to defend against your attack. You land on the ground, and immediately drive your fist outwards, causing small pillars to rise up from the ground towards the water-user who jumps away. The fire-user attacks you next, sending several streams of fire towards you. However, you stomp your foot on the ground, and a wall of earth rises up, deflecting the attack. You lower the wall, before you strike towards the earth-user, lightning striking out towards him. However, the light-user appears, and deflects your strike of lightning into the mountain above your head. You swing your arm outwards, and from the mountain you pull the earth to hang over your head like a roof to protect you from the falling debris before you use a large, sweeping movement to send them flying off.

The water-user swings his arms, swinging the whip of water towards you. You plant your feet, and pull the overhanging rock out of the mountain and in front of you to block. However, the whip manages to make it around, and grab onto your ankle, pulling you out from behind your barrier, and causing you to lose your balance. You encase your one foot in earth to keep it planted, as the other gets pulled. As your body is forced into a low lunge, you reach out to tap the water on your ankle, causing the tip of the whip to freeze before you break it off.

Your foot breaks out of the earth that had encased it, and in a succession of quick punches and kicks, you send several blasts of fire upwards towards the five of them. The water-user morphs his whips of water into a shield. The fire-user uses his own fire to propel him out of the way. The light-user disappears in another flash. The wind-user uses the air to send himself upwards, and the earth-user downwards. You slam your hands into the ground, and a pillar shoots out from beneath the earth-user. He surprises you by punching through your pillar.

It's an unorthodox technique that requires a lot of strength and stamina. It's a little impressive.

Your head whips up as blades of air come flying towards you. You do your best to dodge them, as you flip and twist. You roll your eyes when your cloak is ripped by one of the blades. You unclasp your cloak before you throw it towards the fire-user, following after it. Just as you had hoped, he burns it. You come through the ashes, punching him in the face which causes him to stumble back. He glowers up at you, and starts to come at you with blasts of fire. You do your best to dodge, and to block his attacks to prevent him from following through. You jump up as he sweeps his legs below you, scorching the grass. You are suddenly pushed forwards by a rush of water hitting your back. You flip over, as you bring the water soaked into your clothes to your fingertips before freezing them. You swipe at the light-user who had come up behind you, grazing his wrist and throwing off his aim. He jumps back as you continue to swipe at him with your makeshift claws. You finally manage to kick him in the ribs, and he gets sent flying. You then toss the frozen claws towards the air-user. However, the claws are melted by a wall of fire before they reached the air-user.

You turn towards the earth-user as he stomps into the ground, raising boulders that he sends flying towards you with powerful kicks and punches. You block each one carefully, smashing through them. Your eyes widen when the next boulder you destroy is proceeded by a ball of light. You close your eyes as it gets brighter, and try to relax your breathing. You keep your eyes closed, feeling them through the earth. You can feel the way the light-user shifts his feet, the way his chakra moves through his body towards his hands. His weight shifts as he starts to point at you. You reach out, and deflect the lightning once more, this time towards the water-user. He jumps out of the way and you hear the lightning crash against one of the trees.

You can feel as they move to surround you.

You feel the way their chakra moves throughout their bodies. You can feel their racing hearts, though you can't tell whether it's out of adrenaline or nerves. You can feel the way they are moving as to not make a sound.

You wonder if they think they have you cornered.

Before they can attack, you raise a column of fire to rise around you. You push your hands outwards, and it expands. You stop it just before them. You can hear some of them curse, and feel the way they stumble back in shock. You open your eyes, and lower the wall of fire. You grimace slightly at how much of the ground you've scorched.

When you win and they leave you alone, you'll apologize for it.

"I hate to say it, but your control is incredible," the fire-user says, as he gets into another fighting stance.

"I would certainly hope so," you reply, keeping your eyes on him, but focusing your attention on the way the earth-user lifts his foot. "I had my childhood stripped away so I could become a flawless Dai."

You realize that your words throw most of them off except for the earth-user himself. Just as his foot makes contact with the earth, you shift your own. You force his legs into a near split, and though his eyes widen in surprise, he doesn't seem that phased by it. You can feel as the chakra runs up from his legs towards his hands. He slams his hands onto the ground, and suddenly the ground beneath you begins to rise up. Though you manage to keep your balance, you can't help but be impressed by him.

You wonder if he was always this good. For the briefest moment you wonder if Tanji would like him. But that's a thought you shouldn't dwell on.

The boulder suddenly drops from beneath your feet, leaving you suspended in the air. A gust of air sends you even higher. The corner of your lips turn up slightly when several balls of light are sent up to you. "Well isn't that clever?"

You close your eyes, and even though your eyes are closed you nearly cover them from just how bright the lights are. You let yourself fall, curious as to what they'll pull next. It's the first time in years that you've faced such a competent team of diverse users. This is the most fun you've had since you lost everything.

Another rush of air slows you down significantly. In fact, he's keeping you hovering in the air. Suddenly you're slammed against the face of the mountain. You feel the cool sensation of water wrapping around your wrist and freezing, and a contrasting heat around your other one. Your ankles are both constrained with earth, and you finally open your eyes to look down at the five of them.

They're all breathing heavily.

"So, I guess you'll be coming with us," the light-user hums, still looking as bright as when he first approached you.

"I suppose if I were weaker that would be true," you hum as you glance at your wrists restrained by a rope of light and water. You look back to them, smirk on your lips. "Unfortunately for you, I'm the Dai."

You turn your hands so your palms are pressed against the mountain. You channel your chakra pushing it further and further until you're sure it is under four of them. You suddenly dig your fingers into the mountain, and suddenly earth rises up and traps everything except for their heads. You let go with the hand that is constrained by ice. You move your fingers to reduce the ice around your wrist to water. However, you don't use the water and instead reach across your body to grasp the rope of light holding your wrist. You rip it off before you throw it at the earth-user while his attention is still on his fellow Warriors as he raises his hands to release them. It hits one of his wrists into the other, before the light reconnects itself, trapping his hands together. You reach down to smash the earth encasing your ankles, before you push yourself off the mountain. You send a blast of fire towards his feet, forcing him to jump up. Immediately you send a gust, knocking him into a tree. You pull the water that the water-user dropped before you use it to pin his body to the tree.

You exhale, body relaxing.

You open your mouth to speak, but the earth-user before you talks before you can. "You've defeated us, but are you really not going to listen to why we wanted you to return to Sougen?" The question catches you off guard.

You suppose you hadn't really tried to listen to what they had to say. You were too hasty in your actions. Too concerned with wanting to avoid returning. Too selfish. You can practically hear that old man scolding you.

"You are the Dai, aren't you?" He asks, and it makes you grimace. "You are Humanity's Greatest Protector. Are you willing to let innocent people die when it is your responsibility to protect the people of this world?"

His words fill you with guilt and anger. It makes you feel guilty because you abandoned your responsibilities as soon as you could. It makes you feel guilty because even if you had deserted, the people were still depending on you. It makes you angry because you're sure that you've been told words like that before. It makes you angry because out of all the people who could have been chosen to be the Dai, it had to be you.

A part of you wishes that the man before you had been chosen. Another part of you would rather keep that burden for yourself.

He doesn't say anything else, just keeps his stoic gaze on you. He's said everything that he's needed to say. He's waiting for your answer.

You sigh.

"Fine. Let's go then."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CHAPTER UNEDITED
> 
> yn; fine, let's go  
> tendō: that's great and all but if you could release us first that would be SUPER cool  
> yn: perish
> 
> is this it?? am i going to start finding my groove?? probably not lmfao
> 
> talk to me on [tumblr](https://llllver.tumblr.com)


	5. council

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the world has always depended on you.

It takes you a few days to arrive to Bokujou.

You get to know the Warriors who found you. They're nice, but you wouldn't exactly call them your friends. You apologize to Semi for the black eye, and to Tendō for the scrape. You don't get to know them past the surface. You don't really want to. You don't really know how to.

You haven't made any meaningful relationships since you first came to Sougen.

You grimace as you arrive at the doorway of the council room.

You had stood in this room fifteen years ago as they discussed your fate. They never asked for your opinion. They never asked how you were doing. You just sat next to Tanji as they talked about you as if you didn’t exist. You were still covered in soot, and sniffling. Your clothes were ripped and burned. And they ignored you the entire time.

You don’t exactly have the fondest memories of this place.

Ushijima pushes open the door, holding it open for you. You mutter a quiet thanks as you make your way through. You’re a little surprised when you feel arms wrap around you, holding your head to someone’s chest.

You pull back as soon as the grip loosens, regarding the Chief of Bokujou, Chief Ishikawa, blankly.

“Dai (y/n)! Thank the Gods that you are alive,” he tells you, taking your hands in his. “And look at you all grown up! You look lovely.”

You grimace, opening your mouth to speak.

You’re cut off by the Representative of Sougen. “We’ve missed you, Dai (y/n),” she tells you, with that infuriatingly kind smile.

You look around the room. Most of these faces are familiar, albeit older. Some are people you’ve never met. Though that makes sense. No one is guaranteed to keep their title forever.

Except you of course.

However, their joyful looks. Their hopeful looks. Their prideful looks. They fill you with contempt. They make a dull ache bloom in your chest.

They only ever gave you those looks when they were proud with how you progressed in your training. But they would look with disappointment when your control would slip. They would look elsewhere when you were a child getting scolded for things you did not deserve to be scolded for. They would turn the other way when you would cry because it was all too much.

They missed you? You wanted to laugh.

“Okay?” You glance at her, then look around impassively. “Was I supposed to miss you all? People who had never let me grieve?”

The silence that follows is deafening. It brings you little satisfaction.

“Well, regardless, welcome home, Dai (y/n),” Chief Ishikawa says.

“This is not my home,” you state with a roll of your eyes. “Bokujou has never been my home. Earth Country has never been my home.”

You’re being disrespectful. You’re doing it on purpose. You want them to feel frustration. It doesn’t make you feel better, but you want to see it. You want to see the clenched fists. You want to see tongues bitten to hold back any kind of insult. You want the glares. You want the gasps.

You are the Dai. You are the most powerful human in existence. But you are just that, a human. Humans were made in the image of the Gods. Your pettiness is reflective of that. You hope they seethe when they look at you.

“Dai (y/n),” Chief Ishikawa trails off, tone warning. You nearly scoff in his face.

“What?” You ask, giving him a falsely innocent look. “I am merely speaking the truth. If anyone has a problem with the way I talk, I invite them to speak up.”

“If there’s anything that you inherited from Dai Tanji it’s his sharp tongue,” you hear someone grumble.

“It’s not like I could have learned anything else from that stupid old man,” you reply curtly.

There’s a scandalized gasp. And a laugh that Tendō tries to disguise with a cough.

“Dai (y/n),” the Representative of Sougen’s tone is reprimanding. “You should not speak so ill of your former mentor.”

Anger bubbles in your chest. Your power answers to your emotions and you can barely contain the explosion of power.

“But you let him speak to me the way he did even though I was just a kid?!” Your booming voice practically echoes.

The room is dead silent. You’re sure they all felt the way the room had shaken. Their eyes are all trained on you, but every now and then they glance at the now askew portraits. At the chandelier above swaying after your outburst.

You close your eyes and heave out a sigh, trying to calm yourself. You glance around at the Representatives, the High Chief, and Chief of Bokujou village. You look over at the five Warriors who have brought you here. You make direct eye contact with Ushijima, who looks at you with understanding of all things.

You refrain from rolling your eyes. “What do you want from me? Why did you have all these Warriors try and hunt me down?” You ask, staring directly into the High Chief’s eyes. “After all these years, why does the world suddenly need the Dai?”

All eyes fall onto the Representative of Tougen. You don’t recognize him. He must have been appointed recently.

He clears his throat, trying to appear calm as he stands up. “Over the last few months my Tribe has been plagued by the resurgence of the Beasts. We have lost several small villages.” You know your blank stare is making him nervous, and you hear his voice shake. “We are in a dilemma. We have increased the patrols to try and ward them off, but we know that it would be best to locate the nest to try and destroy it. However, if we were to do that, then the Warriors would be spread too thin. And there’s honestly no use sending them out when every expedition has ended in failure.”

“And why ask for me? Why not ask for help from the other Tribes?” You ask, though you feel as if you already know the answer.

“Well, I’m not too sure if you know Chief Hōzuki, but he’s always been stubborn. He was furious with me, and barely allowed the Warriors to join in the efforts of finding you,” he replies, looking rather nervous under your gaze. “He had made it quite clear that the only help he would allow is the help of the Dai.”

“Of course he did.” You actively try not to roll your eyes.

“W-will you help us?” He asks, and a heavy tension settles in the room.

You can feel all eyes on you. They’re waiting for your answer.

“Did you honestly think I would waste my time to tell you ‘no?’” You question, eyebrows furrowing. “I may be petty and selfish, but I understand my duty as the Dai. I am the Greatest Protector, and there are lives at risk. Now show me a map of the regions explored by the Warriors. And records of all the villages that have been attacked while you're at it.”

The Representative immediately gets to work as everyone else lets out a collective sigh of relief. He scrambles to hand you scrolls, and you nearly drop them in his haste. However, he doesn’t let you read through them and immediately brings you over to look at the map spread out on the table. He shows you every region that had been explored by the Warriors, and even though you are holding the records in your hands. He tells you every village that had been attacked in chronological order. He is so impassioned, and knowledgeable that you find yourself almost smiling.

The people of Tougen have chosen their representative well.

“And that’s every village that we’ve lost in the past seven months. Did I go too fast? I know that I tend to ramble when I—”

“You’re fine,” you tell him, wiping the smile off your face. “Though I’m surprised that you haven’t located the nests by now.”

Everyone looks at you with wide eyes. Ushijima, however, seems impressed by how quickly you deciphered it.

“‘Nests?’” The High Chief repeats.

You take a brush on the table, dipping it in ink as you mark fifteen spots on the map of Water Country.

"Considering how some of these villages were destroyed a day apart despite being on opposite ends of the Country, I doubt that it's one nest. Based off the locations of the first villages destroyed, the distance between the subsequent villages, and the regions explored by the Warriors, these are my assumptions of possible locations of the nests," you explain, looking back up at him. "So what's the next step?"

"Oh, so now you're being polite?" The Representative from Takayama asks, and you look at her unimpressed.

"Would you rather I be disrespectful? I have no qualms about it," you say, before turning back to look at the High Chief. "What's the next step?"

"While the Warriors of Tougen continue to patrol, you can check out these possible locations. When you locate the nests, destroy them, and make sure that the Beast cannot return," he tells you.

"Alone?" You question, voice raising in disbelief.

"The First Dai hunted them down and defeated them," the Mori Representative says. The other Representatives with the exception of the Tougen one nod their heads in agreement.

"Did all of you fail history?" You furrow your brows as you look around at the Representatives. "The First Dai did not hunt nor defeat the beasts on his own. He had inspired so many people that he had hundreds of people joining his mission. He met his wife because she was one of the people who joined his expeditions. But you want me to do it on my own? Are you trying to get me killed?"

"Dai (y/n)," you cut off the Sougen Representative, not in the mood to hear a scolding.

"I'm just curious as to how you could have come to the conclusion that I could do it on my own. Did you think that because I spent most of my life developing my skills and my chakra that I would be able to take on even one nest on my own?" You ask, head tilting as you offer her a tight smile. "Did you forget that the Beasts are basically immune to all forms of chakra release and their stamina is just as monstrous as they are? Do you think that because I'm the Dai that my chakra is endless? Because I can assure you, that is certainly not the case."

"Our apologies, Dai (y/n)," the High Chief says, as he stands up from his seat. "It seems that we had overlooked such vital information due to the era of peace we have been living in."

You give him a false smile, as you cross your arms. "The High Council has been overlooking many things. I'm not that surprised."

"You—" you ignore the fuming Sabaku Representative.

"Are you going to send Warriors with me or not?" You ask, looking directly into the High Chief's eyes.

"Personally, I think we should send her on her own as a punishment for the way she has been acting this entire meeting," the Takayama Representative sneers, but you continue smiling, watching as she gets progressively more furious.

You don't say anything as you see them share contemplative looks. If they choose to send you to an early grave before the next Dai has even appeared, then you will let them. You will let them face the consequences of their actions. However, maybe the Gods will reward them for killing the Dai. You and your predecessors have always been the bane of their existence.

"If I may speak?" You all look over at Ushijima as he raises his hand.

"Yes, of course, Master Ushijima" the High Chief says, and Ushijima steps forward, staring at you before he looks towards the Council.

"I am willing to accompany the Dai on the expedition. It would certainly be unwise to send her on her own," he says, and your eyebrow raises at his words. "The task would be finished much faster if others are sent with her."

"Well, if it's on a volunteer basis, I'll come along too," Tendō hums. The indignant squawk that comes from the Representative of Takayama when he smiles at her makes you like him a little more.

You watch and listen in fascination as the other three Warriors also volunteer.

A few days ago you had beat them up. Semi still has a black eye. You had been nothing but hostile and rude, but here they are, volunteering to come with you on a deadly expedition. The honour of some Warriors is certainly commendable.

"This is the team that we will send to hunt and destroy the nests and Beasts then. If the High Council agrees, then I will have it arranged so that the six of you will leave tomorrow at daybreak. Are there any objections?" The High Chief looks around, but none of the Representatives speak up. "Then it is settled. The meeting is adjourned. I pray for the safety of all of you as you make your ways home."

The Representatives all rise from their seats, as they start to make their way out of the council room. You remain indifferent to the glares of the Representatives from Takayama, Sabaku, and Mori. The Tougen Representative walks up to you and shakes your hand. He thanks you profusely before he follows the other three out of the room. The remaining Representative, High Chief, and Chief Ishikawa all share a look, before they turn to look at the five Warriors.

"Can the five of you please leave. We would like to speak to the Dai alone," the Sougen Representative says with a placating smile.

Ushijima nods his head, and the five of them begin to leave, but when you raise their hand, the five of them stop. All eyes fall on you, but you keep your gaze locked onto that of the Representative's. "They are my team now. Whatever you have to say to me, they can listen."

"(y/n)," your eyebrow raises at the use of your name sans your title. "This is personal. I'm sure you would feel much more comfortable if they were not here."

"Would I be uncomfortable? Or would you be uncomfortable?" You ask, watching as she tenses up. "Whatever you have to say to me, Kana. Spit it out."

She remains silent, lips pursed. She opens her mouth, but nothing comes out. You watch as she continues to struggle to speak. She sighs, rubbing her temples. When her hands drop back to her side, and she looks at you, you can tell that she found her resolve. "What happened to you, (y/n)? You used to be so polite."

You try to keep from laughing in pure disbelief. You shake your head, calming yourself down as you look at her blankly. "When I used to hold my tongue, and only speak when spoken to?" You hum, as you turn away, ready to leave the room. "The three of you would always look away. I'm sure none of you know what it felt like to be yelled at for being a kid. So was I being polite? Or was I just afraid of what would happen if I did speak up?"

You leave through the doors, not bothering to look back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> not @ how i finished this chapter immediately.
> 
> talk to me on [tumblr](https://llllver.tumblr.com)


	6. tougen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> it's been fifteen years.

Your knuckles are pressed together as you push your fists together. Your legs are crossed as you balance precariously, but you have no fear of falling.

You breathe in deeply.

The breeze brushing against your face is gentle. The waves are relatively calm, and the boat rarely rocks. The conversations between the crew are nothing but white noise.

You exhale.

You can feel the way your chakra reserve slowly fills. You're trying to fill it up as much as you can. Considering how taxing this mission is going to be, you're probably going to be heavily relying on your reserve.

Your concentration is broken when you feel the other five approach.

"What are you doing?" Ushijima asks.

You sigh as your hands drop to the railing and you uncross your legs. You maneuver yourself around so that you face the five of them before you speak. "I _was_ meditating."

"Again? Unless you've been fighting the crew, you shouldn't be using so much chakra that you would need to recharge," Tendō says with a small smile, and you roll your eyes.

"I'll have you know that I do not actively seek out fights. And I'm trying to build up my chakra reserve," you state matter-of-fact.

They all give you confused looks with the exception of Ōhira who looks at you with surprise. Their expressions remind you that what you had just said is not common knowledge.

"I'm sorry, what?" Semi questions, with a frown.

You sigh, as you hop onto the deck, and start making your way below deck to the cabins. You glance over your shoulder at the five of them. "Do you guys fancy a lesson in chakra?"

You feel them follow you into the room that you had been using since the trip began. Once they're all inside, you pull the door closed before you gesture for them to get comfortable. Semi gets settled in the chair at the desk. Ōhira and Yamagata position themselves on the desk on either side of Semi. Ushijima leans against the wall at the foot of the bed, and Tendō immediately spreads himself out on said bed.

"So before I begin, can I ask all of you besides Ōhira what you know about chakra?" You ask, as you lean against the door, crossing your arms.

"Chakra is the energy that runs throughout our bodies. If we have certain connections, we can manifest it in a way that allows us to control one of the five elements," Ushijima begins. "The larger the scale of a move, the more chakra required."

"It can also be used in hand to hand combat. There's a huge gap in strength between a physical blow using chakra and one that doesn't," Tendō adds.

"However, chakra is not limitless. Yes, you can increase the amount of chakra you draw from, but there is only so much you can use. If you exert your chakra past your threshold, you can die," Semi says.

"The common ways to regain your chakra is through rest and meditation," Yamagata notes. “But it’s said that it’s possible for the Dai to share their chakra with others.”

You hum in confirmation, before you turn your attention towards Ōhira. "Do you know about the main source and reserves?"

He gives a slight nod of his head. "My father was a Healer, so I know a little bit. But I‘m not that confident in what I can recall."

"Don't worry. I'll fill in any blanks or fix any misconceptions," you say with a wave of your hand.

"From what I remember, most people draw from a singular source of chakra. However, it is said that Healers from Tougen were capable of creating a reserve that they could draw from when their main source was depleted. This technique of forming a reserve was heavily used in the War during long battles." The others seem completely taken aback.

"Yes, that's true. However, it's not just Healers that are capable of developing a reserve, and it is certainly not just those from Tougen who can do it," you say. "You can imagine the main source that I draw from as a pool with a spout at the edge of it. Every time you draw from the main source, it's like the pool is drained. However, when you fill the pool past the top, it overflows out the spout, to an empty pool waiting below. Every time you overfill the main pool, it continues to collect in the pool below."

"That's pretty cool," Tendō hums, as he tucks his hands under his head. "Do you dip into your chakra reserve often, or is your first pool too big?"

You snort. "I have used my chakra reserve once in my entire life," you reply. "As you know, a lot of my childhood was dedicated to increasing the only source I was using at the time. So, yes, my first pool is quite big."

"Did you have to increase it— for lack of better word— the fast way?" Ushijima asks, looking mores serious than he usually does. You can understand why when he’s asking a question like that.

The fastest way of increasing your chakra capacity is tiring, and frankly, a little dangerous.

"Well, the old man didn't know when he was going to pass, so he had to make sure I had enough chakra to handle five elements," you reply with a shrug of your shoulders.

You leave it at that when there's a sudden knock at your door. You push yourself off it, and open it. You’re aware of the five Warriors trying to peek around you to see who is at the door.

“Yes?” You question the young crew member who suddenly salutes to you.

”Dai (y/n), we will be arriving at Kouri Village in about an hour,” she tells you.

”Thank you.” You go to close the door, but she is still standing there, saluting you. “Um? Dismissed?”

”Thank you!” She says, as her arm drops by her side and she robotically walks away. You wince when she nearly trips up the stairs.

You close the door, and with the exception of Ushijima, they all stare at you with amusement clear on their faces.

”Well isn’t that just adorable?” Tendō croons. “I think she has a crush on— oh? Why are you making that face?"

"I'm not making a face," you deny.

"Why would you lie about that?" Ushijima asks, and your grimace just gets more prominent.

"They've both got a point. Every time someone mentions Tougen you start to make a face," Ōhira chuckles.

"What's going on in that head of yours?" Tendō asks, as he sits up and flops onto his stomach. He cups his face in his hands, swinging his feet back and forth as he grins up at you. "Aren't you from Tougen? Aren't you excited to go back? I mean, I do think it's a little weird that you never did visit when you went all nomad."

"Because Tougen reminds me of everything I—" you cut yourself off, hit with a sudden rush of emotions. You sigh, and place one of your hands over your chest, trying to soothe your aching heart. "Tougen reminds me of a lot of things I don't like to think about. It reminds me that your worth depends on what you can do for the leaders of this world. That sometimes a child is a tool before they are human. That sometimes when you try to run away from everything that haunts you, it always finds a way to sneak up on you."

There's a deafening silence that fills the room. You don't bother to look over at the other people in the room, keeping your eyes on your feet. You feel Ushijima approach you, but only look up when he places a hand on your shoulder, squeezing it. You assume that the intention was to be reassuring, but in actuality it hurts just a little and if he squeezes any harder he might leave a bruise. You relax when his grip loosens.

"You do not have to share what plagues you, but just know that we are always here to support you," he tells you, as he leans down to look directly in your eyes. "If you ever find yourself struggling, do not be afraid to reach out to us."

You look around at the others who smile and nod in agreement. It's the first time anyone has ever told you such a thing. After years of depending on others to only help you hone in your skills, it's the first time anyone has ever shown concern over you. You had figured you were better off on your own. No one else would ever care about you beyond your title. They would never care about your hardships. About your pain.

But five strangers you had beat up were telling you otherwise.

You shake your head, shrugging his hand off your shoulder. "I'll keep it in mind," you hum as you push yourself off the door, turning to open it. You start to usher him out of your room. "Now get out! I still need to finish meditating."

"Aw! I wanted to do some more team bonding."

"Tendō, get the hell off my bed or I will throw you off the boat."

***

You pull on the coat that you had been supposedly gifted by the Chief himself. You're a little surprised that it's a modern style, and not similar to the traditional robes he supposedly still wears. You don't bother to zip it up or pull on the hood. Kouri has always had a warmer temperature in comparison to the rest of the country.

You take your bag from the bed, throwing it over your shoulders. You open the door to your room, surprised to see the five Warriors waiting for you. You tilt your head, gesturing for them to follow you. The six of you make your way up to the deck. You bow your head, quickly thanking the crew members. You ignore the muffled squeal of the young crew member from before after you let go of her outstretched hand. You begin to make your way down the ramp, not bothering to hold onto the railings even as it sways with the rhythmic waves. Once you step onto the docks, start making your way to the market located right next to the docks.

A sudden hush falls over the place, and you try to remain calm. You watch as an older man dressed in grand white furs, brown leather, and blue robes approaches you. He is surrounded by Warriors and is accompanied by his advisors, and the Tougen Representative. You stop in your tracks, and the other five behind you stop as well. You let the man take your hands as he and his entourage approaches.

"Dai (y/n)," he hums, giving you a pleased smile.

"Chief Hōzuki," you reply.

"Welcome home, my dear," he says, his smile a little less bright.

"My home was burned to the ground, but I appreciate the sentiment," you tell him, as he drops your hands immediately.

He clears his throat. "My apologies. It's been so long that I had nearly forgotten."

"Of course," you reply. "Did you ever end the terror The Frost brought upon Tougen, or is that something else you conveniently forgot that I'll have to deal with as well?"

"Rest assured, Dai (y/n), we have dealt with them, and they have been silent for many years now."

You can feel the way his heart is racing despite his nonchalance. And one look at the Representative lets you know how truthful the statement actually is. You breathe out your nose, trying to contain your frustration. He begins to walk towards the market, and all of you are forced to follow. He starts to ramble as you all walk through the market. It slowly becomes livelier, though they all look at you warily.

"Anyways, I hope your trip here went well. Are you enjoying my gifts? I was unsure if you would have clothes suitable for the tundras of the country. I'm glad to see that my gifts for you are being put to use. If you'd like I can—"

He cuts himself off when a snowball makes contact with the side of his head. All of you stop in your tracks, standing there in stunned silence. You hear Tendō failing to hide his chuckles and Semi telling him to shut up. You know that Yamagata will start to laugh as well if Tendō keeps it up. You turn your head to the side, watching a mother scold her child who looked as if he did not regret his decision at all.

"Koda! You can't do that," the mother hisses.

"Why not? Grandpa doesn't like him and says he's a stupid butthead." The child pouts, and you hear Yamagata finally sputter when Tendō wheezes.

You see the Chief Hōzuki's ears turn red.

"That insolent—" you move to stand in his way as he tries to push his way through his guards to reach the child and mother. "Dai (y/n)?"

"Let me speak to him," you reply. He seems pleased by your words.

You turn on your heel, walking up to the mother and child. The mother looks up at you with fear in her eyes, in complete contrast to her son who looks up at you defiantly. You crouch down so that you are at eye level with him.

"What's your name?" You ask, smiling at him.

His eyes widen, before he glances away with a bashful expression. "Hakoda, but the people I like get to call me Koda."

"So what do you want me to call you?" You tilt your head, briefly glancing at his now confused mother.

He ponders, glancing at you, and his blush gets a little darker. "You seem nice even if you are talking to the Chief, so I guess you can call me Koda."

"Well, can I tell you something Koda?" He turns his head to look at you, before he nods his head. "I don't like Chief Hōzuki either but I have to talk to him because I have something really important that I need to do. So I can't exactly throw snowballs at him. Good work, Koda."

When you reach your hand out, he immediately high-fives you.

"Now I need you to do something for me, Koda." He nods his head enthusiastically, and your smile gets a little bit wider. "The Chief thinks I'm telling you that what you did is not okay. So I need you to look like your mom is disappointed, okay?"

He nods his head again, before he gets the expression down perfectly. You give his mom a subtle nod and wink before you stand back up. You clear your face of any amusement as you turn around and make your way back to the group. When Chief Hōzuki is no longer looking, the boy gives you a wave, and you give him a small salute in response. A wide grin spreads across his face, and you look ahead once more, as Chief Hōzuki begins to speak.

"When this is all over we'll make sure to reward all of you handsomely! We will give you all the treasures that you could ever need." For some reason it feels like he's bragging about the gifts he can give you. It makes you seethe.

"Is that so? If you have riches to spare, shouldn't you give it to impoverished villages rather than give it to me? I'm fulfilling my duty as the Dai. I don't need to be paid for it," you say, anger slowly pouring into your words. You can practically feel the tension rising. "Tougen isn't known for being the most prosperous of the five countries. There are numerous small villages living in poverty who can barely pay the taxes the Tougen Council places on them. Not to mention the patrols sent to poorer regions to dissuade the crime that runs rampant in those areas don't really do much. They made a lot of arrests, but the crime rate certainly didn't drop."

"And how can you be so sure that that is the truth?" One of the advisors asks, glaring at you.

"Because I lived in one of those regions," you reply, staring right into her eyes. "I grew up eating maybe one or two meals a day. I grew up with parents who would apologize to me because they couldn't make the money to send me to an Academy despite how proficient I was when learning the water-release techniques that the water-user's in my village knew."

"Things can change," another advisor argues, and you look at him blankly.

"But they didn't, did they? I've read the records on the small villages that were destroyed. I didn't just read the estimated dates of their destruction. I read every single note written. Do not try and act like you can fool me," you snarl, watching as the advisors, Representative and Chief flinch at your harsh tone. Even some of the guards seem startled by your words dripping with venom.

However, one advisor seems to be glaring at you.

"You should be careful with how you speak, Dai (y/n)," she says, and your eyebrow quirks in response. "Such disrespect should be warranted with punishment."

You watch in interest as some of the advisors and the Chief grow more confident in those words. Some of them even nod along with the advisor's words. It's intriguing how quickly they had found their confidence once this advisor spoke. You wonder how many times she's swayed them with her words alone. You wonder how many decisions were made because of her.

You wonder how deep her claws are embedded.

"Is that so?" You murmur, wondering if such a sharp tongue will fall for a simple question. "What kind of punishment would be fitting for my oh-so disrespectful words?"

"Well," she pauses, and for a brief second, a manic look flashes in her eyes. "We could always take your powers away."

The Chief and other advisors seem surprised at her words. The corner of your lips curls up.

"Oh?" You hum, letting your bag fall from your shoulder.

You feel Ushijima's hands on your waist before you can jump forward. You let him pull you back, using the momentum to drive your elbow into his stomach. He releases you, coughing in surprise as he clutches at his stomach. You use the snow to propel yourself forward as you pounce forward and tackle the advisor to the ground. A scream in the background reminds you that this is in fact a very public place, but you don't have a problem with it. You'll be glad to expose her in front of all these people.

You push everyone back with a gust of wind when they try to come close to pull you off her. You summon the earth to create cuffs around her ankles and wrists before you press your thumbs to her forehead and her solar plexus. You can see her own eyes widen in pure fear.

"I think it's very interesting that you said 'we,' seeing as how Tougen hasn't used that method in decades, and that the ones responsible for such a feat had long deserted the Council.” She gasps at your words. You can see the hatred in her eyes when she realizes that she fell for your words. "The Frost are the only ones who have "taken" away users powers in recent years. Tell me, are you still burning down villages? Still killing innocent people? I bet that The Frost is the reason that the Be— they have returned, am I right? Is there anyone else in the Council I should know about or is it just you?"

She begins to struggle under you, as she snarls out, "fuck you, bitch! We'll kill you. When we get our hands on you, you'll be dead! You'll be—"

Your thumbs light up, and you close your eyes. You use your own chakra to feel her own, feeling for a specific connection. When you find it, you furrow your brows in concentration before you sever those connections. You pull away, and stare down disinterestedly as she curses at you. You get off her before you get rid of her restraints. You watch as she waves her hand forward uselessly. She grunts and shouts as she continues to swing her arms but the water does not answer. You let her stand up and stumble towards you. Before she can get her hands on you, you reach out to press your pointer finger and middle finger to her forehead, sending a small pulse of chakra that knocks her out. She slumps against the snowy ground.

You look up at the shocked faces of Chief Hōzuki, the Representative and the other advisors. You briefly listen to the shocked people in the market place. You know that they recognize you from that show of power alone. You bend down and pick your bag from the ground. You look at the guards, tilting your head.

"Are you going to pick her up or?" The two closest to you scramble to lift her off the ground.

There's a brief silence as you watch them restrain her before one of them throws her over their shoulder. You look back towards your team who look at you with varying expressions of confusion and concern. They all turn to Ōhira as he quietly begins to explain. You turn your own attention to the Representative, Chief Hōzuki and his remaining advisors. They all look absolutely shocked as they look between your indifferent expression, and the passed out woman.

You can't help but glare at Chief Hōzuki. His pride and naivety had made it possible for The Frost to have a say in Tougen Council's decisions.

"You should be careful of who you let into your council, Chief Hōzuki. There are wolves dressed in sheep's clothing. Who knows when they'll strike," you say, as you begin to walk past all of them, returning the waves of baffled citizens. "Now, can we get something to eat? I want something in my stomach before we start discussing anything else."

***

You sigh as you move the snow out of your way so that you can lie down against the roof of the inn you will be staying in for the night.

You stare up at the night sky, admiring the stars. It's dark and clear tonight. You wonder if you will see them tonight. It's a sight you haven't seen in over a decade. It was breathtaking when you were a child. You wonder if it will be just as captivating now.

_"Mama, look at the sky! Did the Gods do that? Did they paint those colours just for tonight?"_

_"Well, it is your birthday, isn't it?"_

You snort. What a foolish thought. As if the Gods would do anything for you. As if _anyone_ would do anything for you.

You glance to the side when you hear Ushijima sit in the snow next to you. He is dressed in his pajamas, but here he is soaking them by sitting in the snow.

"You could have just asked me to move that for you. Or moved it yourself," you point out.

"I didn't want to disturb you," he replies, and you hum in response. You wave your hand, and the snow around him moves down and off the roof. You can hear it fall to the ground below. Ushijima gets up to sweep away the snow he had sat on. "Thank you."

The two of you sit in silence before you finally speak up. "How did you know I was here?" You ask, keeping your eyes trained on the sky.

"You fell past my window when you first tried climbing up," he tells you bluntly as he lies down as well.

"Can you pretend like you didn't see that? I'm trying to keep up this facade where I'm cool all the time," you tell him, somewhat as a joke.

"Sure," he replies completely seriously.

There's another silence that you break once more. "What are you doing up here?"

"I wanted to see if you were doing okay, but I also think that I need to apologize," he tells you, and you prop yourself up onto your elbows to look at him.

"Apologize for what?" You ask, confused.

He sighs, before he turns to look at you properly. "For today. I tried to hold you back when you attempted to attack The Frost member today. I apologize for not trusting you."

You snort, rolling your eyes as you lie back down. "Well, it's not like I've given any of you a proper reason to trust me, now have I?"

"We're a team, and you are the leader of this team. I should put my unconditional trust in you," he replies, still looking at you. "I hope you will find it in yourself to trust us as well."

Once again, his words take you aback. Deep down, you know that there is no reason to doubt him. Every time he speaks, he is sincere and genuine. He means every single word that he says. He always puts things bluntly, and sometimes he unintentionally comes off a little mean. There's something about it that's a little charming.

"You know, Ushijima, you're not half-bad."

"Thank you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> no one:  
> absolutely no one:  
> me: y/n would be soft with children i think
> 
> talk to me on [tumblr](https://llllver.tumblr.com)


	7. nest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the hunt begins.

Your heart races as the polar wolves pulls your sled forward. This is something you haven't done in fifteen years. It's exhilarating and fills you with a childlike joy you haven't felt in ages. You look down at Ushijima who sits with your bags in the basket of the sled. You can't see his expression with the goggles and mask on the bottom half of his face, but you assume that he has his standard stoic expression. However, his posture does convey that he is rather relaxed.

You look over to the side when you hear Tendō's elated shout and Semi's own panicked and angry yelling. A smile pulls at your lips as you watch Tendō lead the polar wolves to another small slope. They run up it and jump off, the sled suspended in the air before they come slamming down on the snowy ground once more.

"Tendō, stop this sled and switch with me after I beat the absolute shit out of you!"

"That makes me want to stop less, Semi-Semi."

You roll your eyes, glancing over at Ōhira and Yamagata who laugh at the other two. You then look down at Ushijima who is also looking over at the fire-user and light-user.

"Remind me to change up who is riding together after we scope this place out," you tell him, and he nods his head. You look up, immediately recognizing the mountain approaching. "Woah!" You shout out, standing on the break, and the polar wolves slow down to a stop.

You jump off the sled, watching as Ōhira stops his own sled with ease. Tendō and Semi's sled goes flying past you. You watch as the polar wolves turn to avoid a snowbank before they stop. However, Tendō wasn't standing on the break and the sled ends up going straight into the snowbank. You watch as Semi and then Tendō pop out from the snow. Tendō laughs as he digs his way out, Semi cursing him as he follows after him. The two of them stumble out of the snowbank. Tendō turns, doing his best to dodge Semi's swings.

Your eyebrow raises just a fraction when you watch Tendō throw his hand up. Semi grunts when his fist comes in contact with something invisible. When you tilt your head, you can see the slight refraction of light. Semi growls another threat at Tendō who laughs it off.

A barrier, huh?

You pull back your hood, before you take off your goggles. You toss them into the basket after Ushijima gets out of it. You pull your mask under your chin as you make your way towards the four polar wolves that had pulled your sled. You nearly burst out laughing at how excited they get. You indulge them slightly, scratching their necks, before you go to open the cooler in the basket. You take out frozen fish, tossing two to each of them. You fondly watch as they all snap them out of the air, sharp teeth gnashing together as they chew. You close the cooler before making your way to Tendō and Semi. Your lip quirks up, watching Semi hold Tendō in a headlock.

You move around them until you're standing by the snowbank that Tendō had crashed their sled into. You take a step back, before you sweep your arms forward. You uncover the sled, before you jump onto it.

"Ready!" You call out, watching as the four polar wolves straighten up. Once they're all in their position, you clear your throat. "Alright!"

They start running forwards, until you call out "gee!"

They turn to the right, in the direction of the other sleds. You call out the command for them to stop, as you step on the break. You start taking them out of their harnesses, turning to look over at Tendō and Semi.

"I hope you can at least feed them?" You ask. Semi nods his head as he finally releases Tendō. "Get it done quickly then. Ōhira and I need to cover up the sleds."

"Aren't they troublesome?" Ōhira hums, as you walk up to the other four.

"I really should have thought the pairings through," you sigh, watching the two of them feed the polar wolves. You straighten up, clapping your gloved hands together. "So who's going to ride with Tendō for the rest of the expedition?"

Yamagata sucks in a deep breath of air, running a gloved hand through his hair, as he purposely looks away from you. Ushijima however, looks you directly in the eyes before telling you, "I can do it."

Semi scoffs, as he approaches all of you. "Good luck."

"Don't worry, Wakatoshi," Tendō says, wrapping his arm around the earth-user. "We'll have so much fun."

"I'll look forward to it," Ushijima replies, making some of the others laugh.

A small part of you appreciates the light atmosphere. You know that a heavy weight has been resting on some of them since the six of you left Sougen. You haven't really provided them with any words of comfort or encouragement. You don't even do that for yourself. You never learned how since It's never been your style to work with others.

However, watching them laugh, watching them enjoy themselves, makes you think that you should learn how.

***

The six of you run through the tunnels of the cave, Beasts hot on your tail. You can hear the loud pants and growls behind you. Their chakra is purely nature and it is immense. You hear the loud snap of their jaws clamping together. Everything about them sends chills down your spine.

"Well you know what they say! Third time's the charm!" Tendō says between pants.

"Tendō, if we die, just know that I will do everything in my power to make sure you die first," you seethe. Though you know that you're faster than all of them, you stay in the back while Ushijima takes the lead. Occasionally you slam your hand against the sides of the tunnel, creating a wall to slow the Beasts down.

"(y/n), that is so mean!" Tendō exclaims, as all of you take a sharp turn right. "I think we should vote for a new leader."

"Maybe we can worry about this when we aren't running for our lives?" Yamagata suggests.

You are about to make a comment, but then you feel something rapidly approaching through the walls. You can recognize what it is immediately.

"Hey! Jump up in five, four, three, two, one!" The four in front of you jump, as you plant your foot before sending a gust of air that sends them flying forwards.

Before any of them even land, a Beast comes crashing through the wall. You slam your palm into the ground, and spikes rise up from the ground, impaling it. However, it continues to growl and snarl. It starts to scratch at the spikes pinning it to the ceiling. You run past it, ducking to avoid a stray claw. You pick up speed to join up with the others, a small part of you feels relief when you see the literal light at the end of the tunnel.

The six of you make it out of the tunnel, immediately turning around to face it. All of you get into fighting stances. Ōhira turns some of the snow into water, poised and ready to strike. Semi's own fists catch fire.

There's a beat of silence.

Black masses come crawling out of the entrance to the cave. They're large, with black beady eyes. Their mouths are full of sharp rows of teeth. Claws long and pointed. They snarl at the six of you, baring their teeth.

These are ancient creatures. These are creatures that should be extinct. They shouldn't be roaming these lands. And yet here they are. With their five beating hearts, barely traceable because the chakra they radiate is simply so powerful that it's terrifying. These are mindless creatures created with the intent to kill. Every scroll about them says the same thing.

Kill on sight.

You inhale deeply, trying to calm a part of yourself. Not the part that is fearful, but the small part of you that you have kept suppressed for years. It's a part that you haven't used in fifteen years. You wonder why it's calling out to you all of a sudden. You wonder why it feels like it is desperately trying to crawl its way out of you.

You look up as a Beast suddenly charges you. You lean to the side, twisting your body, barely dodging the swing of its claws. However, as it suddenly lunges at you with its open mouth, you suck in a breath of air. You feel the warmth building in your throat, and then you blow out, flames erupting from your mouth, and shooting straight down the Beast's throat. It screeches in pain, as it clamps its mouth shut, though you continue to spew flames. It turns to run away from you. You can faintly smell burnt flesh, as it runs, skin smoking.

Smoke falls from your open lips when the flames stop. You wipe at your mouth with the back of your gloved hand, as the attention of all the Beasts falls on you. Three of them charge at you, but you can feel the chakra of the others behind you. One of the Beasts is sent up in the air as a pillar of earth shoots up. It gets sent higher up with a rush of air. One of them gets pinned down with spears of ice. The third one continues to run at you, but you don't flinch when you feel the nearly invisible wall of chakra that forms between you and the Beast. You watch as it runs into the barrier that Tendō had put up between you. It shakes it head, swaying in its disorientation.

"You didn't even flinch! Do you trust me that much, (y/n)?" You hear Tendō coo, making you roll your eyes.

You swing your arms up. The snow freezing into spikes of ice to impale the Beast. You grimace as you watch black blood drip down the ice. However, the Beast begins to snarl, scratching at the barrier between the two of you. You start to run back towards the others. You can hear the sound of ice shattering, and the barrier following. You see Semi winding his fist back as he runs towards you. Just as his fist shoots forward, you slide onto your knees. A stream of fire passes over your head, burning the beast behind you.

Semi helps pull you into a standing position. He smiles at you. "That fire-breath technique hasn't been taught in years. You should teach me sometime."

"Sure," you reply with a shrug of your shoulders.

Lightning strikes at one of the Beasts.

"Well, that's no fair. I wanna learn old techniques with (y/n)!"

Another Beast gets sliced up by blades of air.

"Oh, we're learning ancient techniques with (y/n)? I'm down."

Water encases the head of another Beast before it freezes into ice.

"I'd like to learn some ancient water techniques if you know any."

Two strips of earth rise from the ground, clapping together in an attempt to crush one of the other Beasts.

"I would also like to take part in some lessons if you are giving them out."

You hold your hands out in front of you, grunting at the effort it takes to summon the water. However, once you finally reach it, it flows almost easily. A small smile forms on your lips as large amounts of water begin to cascade down the mountain towards all of you.

"Well aren't you guys confident that we'll live?"

"We've got the Dai on our side, don't we?" Ōhira says, smiling at you, as Ushijima raises a large wall of earth between all of you and the Beasts. You wince ever so slightly at the use of your title.

You hum as you hear the water make contact with the wall of earth. There's the sound of something else hitting the wall. You clench your fists, freezing the large amount of water. You wipe off the sweat from your brow. You're a little tempted to take off your coat, but refrain from doing so. Ushijima lowers the wall, showing off the ten Beasts frozen in the water. However, you can see that their eyes are still moving around wildly as they try to take in their surroundings. You can feel the way that the ice slowly cracks around them.

"You guys better not make me do all the work. Because if you do, I'll make sure to sacrifice all of you and not just Tendō if we die."

***

You crash onto your bed as soon as you finish changing post-shower. Your body aches slightly from how long your fight with the Beasts had gone on, and the slightly uncomfortable position of sleeping in caves on your way to the village that you are currently in.

You had all made sure to kill every single Beast. Not that it had been easy. They were persistent and had five hearts that could only be stopped by a specific element much to your chagrin. All of you had thankfully made it out relatively unscathed. However, all of you were exhausted. This wasn't helped by how far the nearest village was thanks to the rampage of the Beasts. With the exception of Ōhira and yourself, the others weren't quite used to sleeping in the middle of nowhere. Let alone sleeping during the cold nights of Tougen's tundras. This meant that most of them weren't really getting proper sleep. Tendō had nearly fallen off the sled on your way to the village.

You don't bother to raise your head from your pillow as you remain splayed out on the bed when somebody knocks at your door. You recognize the chakra of the person outside your door. You flop over onto your back, turning to face the door before you call out to Ushijima. "It's unlocked."

"Can I come in?" He asks after a beat, completely serious. You want to laugh.

"I wouldn't have told you it was unlocked if I didn't want you to come inside," you reply, voice mirthful.

He opens the door, bowing his head at you. "Hello," he greets, and you hum in reply, watching as he closes the door before he makes his way over to you, holding something made of ice in his hands. "Oh? What's that?"

"An ice sculpture of a flower I was told," he says, as he sits on the edge of your bed. You sit up in surprise despite your body's protests. "It's a gift to you from one of the villagers."

"What?" You exclaim, looking at him with wide eyes. You look down at the ice flower he holds out to you. It's frankly ugly and you wonder who had given him that. "Where did you get that? Who gave it to you? What did they say?"

"A child gave it to me to give to you. She said that she thought you were "cool" and that she wants to be your friend." He replies, and you sigh in relief. "What's wrong?"

"I thought you accepted a marriage proposal for me," you tell him, reaching out for the flower. He hands it to you, and you examine it. Despite it's rather ugly appearance, you can tell that a lot of care went into it. It's not too dissimilar to the gifts you would make for your own friends and parents. A small smile forms on your lips. "I should have realized that this is a friendship token. This is definitely the craftsmanship of a child."

"I'm sorry I don't understand," Ushijima says, and you look up at him with a small smile.

"In Tougen culture you propose to someone by crafting them a sculpture of ice using water from one of the sacred pools. If you really want to show how devoted you are, you can travel all the way to this remote waterfall that is so strong it can't be frozen." you reply, as you lean back onto your pillow, admiring the ice flower. "For some reason, when you freeze the water from those pools or the waterfall, they never melt. It's supposed to represent how your love is eternal."

He nods his head, as you reach over to gently place the flower on the nightstand next to your bed. You look over at Ushijima who had was now thumbing a beautiful gem in his hand. You turn onto your side, propping your head onto your hand. "Sougen has a similar thing, right?"

"In a way, I suppose," he hums, eyes focused on the smal gem in his hand. "There's a cave in Sougen named the 'Cave of Lovers.'"

You nearly laugh out loud. You've always found it to be a silly name, but you recognize that it is a staple of Sougen culture and that the story behind the cave is actually extremely tragic.

"Earth-users will go to this cave and meditate, trying to find their Heartstone. You don't give the person the Heartstone itself. You will gift it in the form of the jewellery that you see fit," he explains. You think he's going to leave it at that, but he continues. "What most don't know is that once you've found your Heartstone, you will always know where it is. I don't know the exact details, but it's something about how your chakra forms a proper connection with your Heartstone."

"And you've found yours, I see," you point out. You watch in fascination as he uses his chakra to make the gem float.

"I found it when I was a kid. I have family that lives in the village near the cave. My cousin wanted to find hers so we went there. She didn't find hers that day, but I found mine," he says with a shrug of his shoulders.

"And you haven't found the person you want to give it to?" You ask, watching as he shrugs his shoulders. You lie back down, staring up at the ceiling. "That's no problem. We're young. Who says you need to get married now? Or even at all? The old man never got married, but that's probably my fault to be honest."

The two of you remain in silence. You realize that you might have said a little too much. Ushijima and the others have heard the heavy implications of how much you resented your life in Sougen. They have heard the implications of how you were treated. But they've never heard about the guilt you felt. Never heard how a small part of you hated yourself because you were the reason Tanji never lived a long, fulfilling life.

"You've never gone into detail on your life growing up," Ushijima says suddenly. "I would like to listen, if you are willing to share."

You find yourself surprised once again by Ushijima. Once you get over your surprise, a disbelieving smile finds its way on your face.

_This guy._

A small part of you is a little hesitant to tell him, but the weight that has been pressing on your chest demands that you speak out.

So you do.

You tell him about growing up in Tougen and how it was the happiest time of your life.

You grew up in a small, poor village. But you had loving parents and grandparents. You were friends with nearly every kid in the village. Your affinity for water-release impressed the best water-users of your village. You were far more advanced than your peers. On your eighth birthday, you had felt excruciating pain on your back, and when your grandmother checked, she had found the mark of the Dai on you.

Though your identity hadn't been revealed, the news had spread that the next Dai had been chosen. It had taken the world by surprise. It had only been a year since the old man had stepped into his role as the Dai. As soon as your Chief had privately explained to the Representative who the next Dai is, a party consisting of the Dai and his most trusted comrades had been sent to retrieve you.

But they weren't the first to reach you.

The Frost had been created during the warring period. They were initially a part of Tougen's Council. They had been known for their ability to completely destroy chakra flows, thus taking away people's ability for chakra-release. Their lack of precise control sometimes took away people's abilities to walk, talk or simply killed them.

The Frost had always been a firm believer in Tougen's superiority over the other tribes. They were vehemently against the concept of the High Council once the world had entered the era of peace. Regardless, The Frost remained a part of Tougen's Council. However, they were very selective when it came to severing the chakra flows of criminals. Water-users were untouched, and would often be able to escape prison because of The Frost's bias. The Frost had deserted the Council when they were going to be dissolved.

When they had heard the news that the next Dai had been chosen, they began attacking villages in the hopes of finding the next Dai. They kidnapped children and killed everyone else. They made sure to burn villages to the ground. In just a week, several villages had been taken off the map, and the Tougen Council never did a single thing to stop them.

The Dai would find you first, so why would they need to?

Two weeks after you had learned you were the Dai, you lost everything.

The Frost attacked your village in the middle of the night. This time they didn't take children. If the children didn't have the mark of the Dai, they were killed. You were eight, and the trauma of watching your village be destroyed had brought out a part of you that you didn't even knew existed. You didn't even know how to control it. You were so out of your mind that you could barely remember what happened.

The old man had found you laying outside the remains of your home crying.

He didn't offer you a single piece of comfort. He told you to get over it, and that you had more important things to worry about. And then he took you to Sougen.

You suffered growing up in Sougen.

The only thing on anyone's mind was making sure that you would be a powerful Dai. Not a single person had asked how you were doing. Not a single person cared about you. They didn't care about how you ran low on sleep because the nightmares plaguing you were too much. They only ever cared about what you were going to be. If you weren't succeeding, you weren't worth paying attention to. You weren't allowed to leave the Academy. You couldn't go anywhere unsupervised. You didn't have a single friend. You had the weight of the world on your shoulders and there was no one who would help you. Not with protecting the world. Not with your problems.

Your nightmares never went away.

The only time you had received help was when you were learning. The old man was the one who would teach you about the elements, and all the techniques and forms that would come with each one. Sometimes Masters from different tribes would come to teach you. You had teachers who would help you learn the maps, politics, and culture of every Country. A Dai's purpose was to maintain peace. You needed to understand the tribes if you were expected to help.

But they didn't teach you love and compassion. Those were lessons you had learned in Tougen. They were values that you had almost forgotten how to keep because you hadn't been shown an ounce of either of them. You hated your life in Sougen. You were trapped and isolated. You were lonely. You were a child and you were suffering, but you were expected to keep the world together.

And you didn't skip a single detail when speaking about the way that Tanji had treated you.

As soon as that old man had kicked the bucket you had run off because the life you were leading was nothing but torture, and you had had enough.

You were barely holding it together, and if you kept going you would fall apart.

And the world would follow.

Ushijima had listened to your every word with rapt attention. Though you hadn't shed a single tear, he knew that everything that you had been through had deeply hurt you. He could not explain how he knew. He supposes he knew through the way you used your words. Or maybe it was how your voice lacked any emotion at all.

Most would say that you weren't expressive, but he would disagree. You are kind when you speak to children, shopkeepers, and most elderly people. You are quite expressive when you address the team. There is a subtle kindness, a certain tenderness when you speak to them. Sometimes you are playful, sometimes you are firm and angry. Your expressiveness when you speak to people who have wronged you is astounding. Though your gestures and overall demeanour may be flippant, the vitriol that you speak with is obvious. You use your tone to purposely rile them up. You speak with such seriousness when you correct them or try to disprove a point they've made.

But when you speak about your past, you make sure to keep your face and voice blank of any emotion. He supposes he's the same way. Though he doesn't do it purposely.

He tells you about his own childhood. That his mother came from an affluent family in Light Country and that his father was a high-ranking Warrior in Sougen's tribe. He was born in Light Country, and he had lived there for a few years. His mother and grandmother had been hoping that he would develop an affinity for light. His father did not have a preference for which element he would inherit.

His father was an important figure in his life, and was the one to inspire him to become a Warrior. His father eventually had to return to Earth Country during the Civil War before he learned whether he would be able use chakra-release or not. His father had nearly died. His father was nowhere near the average age of retirement, but he had to give up on the life of a Warrior. He wanted to continue his father's legacy.

He hopes his father is proud of the Warrior he has become.

He had felt a stronger connection to his father when he learned that he had an affinity for earth. However, it had upset his mother and grandmother. They had desperately tried to see if he could use light. They taught him the basic forms and techniques that children learn, but he could not follow through. They were severely disappointed. He was never punished, but the looks they gave him every time he failed had felt like a punishment. Eventually he had been sent to Sougen's Earth Academy to become a Warrior. He was praised often by Masters, Warriors, and his peers for his progress. They all assured him he would be a great Warrior. He graduated the Academy at the top of his class and had subsequently reached one of the highest-ranks as a Warrior in the following year.

He talks about his own past with little to no emotion. He tells you that perhaps the reason he sounds so disinterested may be because his hardships were not to the same degree as yours. You reassure him that though your life may have been harder than his, it did not mean that his suffering matters any less. You tell him that everyone expresses themselves differently. Your comments makes him feel better and much more confident.

He thanks you for your kind words. You give him that rare smile. It's not a big smile. It's small, but it is soft and kind, and it makes your eyes brighten. It makes him feel warm and his heart race. He supposes that he likes that smile the most.

The two of you sit in a comfortable silence when the door to your room is suddenly opened, and the other four members of your team come piling into your room.

"Are you guys having team bonding without us?" Tendō whines as he starts prowling towards the bed.

"Tendō, don't you dare," you say, pointing a threatening finger at him, but he continues to approach. "Tendō Satori, I swear to the Gods I will—"

Tendō proceeds to jump onto the bed, and subsequently you. You let out a pained wheeze before you begin to cuss Tendō out. He blocks your hits though his body shakes with bright laughter. When Ushijima looks around, he can see the others are watching with the amusement that he also feels.

He can see that despite your annoyance as you eventually give up on getting rid of Tendō, you are enjoying yourself. Your hands remain at your side and you look exasperatedly at the ceiling, but there's a smile tugging at your lips. Your gaze glances at the others, and you let out a sigh. It's not out of annoyance or anger. You sound relaxed, comfortable.

Though a minuscule part of him feels the slightest bit upset at how your private moment was ruined, he is mostly happy that you are.

He hopes that you will continue to enjoy these small moments with them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i just want friendship and budding romance. no proper plot development. nests not important. only love.
> 
> talk to me on [tumblr](https://llllver.tumblr.com)


	8. trust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the last nest and the aftermath.

You and your team spend weeks hunting down the nests. If you find yourselves in an area under attack by some Beasts, then you will often halt your hunts to help deal with it.

It's hard.

The fights were long and gruelling. There have been times where some of you have almost died. There were times when the others had nearly ran out of chakra. They had all jokingly dubbed you their hero when you had swooped and taken the Beasts out to ensure their safety. You would proceed to reprimand them for joking around when you were fighting for your lives, but they just gave you bright smiles as they took your hand as you shared your chakra.

But you found yourself growing closer with the others. All of you would share food. When you couldn't make it to a village and you were forced to sleep in the wild, you would share each other's warmth. You would share stories. You would teach them techniques and forms. They had grown on you, and a small part of you never wanted to let them go.

But you knew that this wouldn't last forever.

The six of you were heading to the last possible location for the last nest.

Though your luck in locating the other nests hadn't been too bad, your luck in finding the last nest was abysmal. The other four possible locations had been fruitless, and all of you had bonded over how annoying that was. You were all exhausted, and tired, and were excited for your encounters with the Beasts to end.

You weren't forcing them to work without rest. You would never impose that upon them. You had done your best to make sure that all of you had time to rest. You wanted to spend at least a few days in every village that you brought the team to. However, the world was aware of who the Dai is, and if you ever stopped in a village, they would ask you to do the most mundane of things. Whether it be teaching students, helping collect plants, or finding someone's lost dog, you were the first person they asked. And somehow your teammates ended up joining you despite your insistence that you could do it on your own.

You knew that you were allowed to say no. But you never did. You tried your best to take it all in stride, but the title of Dai was weighing down on you. Even for the most simple of things, the world would depend on you.

"You're making a face again," Yamagata says to you, and you look up at him.

"No I'm not," you reply, and he snorts, chuckling at you.

"Oh? Our precious leader is making faces again?" Tendō asks as he slows down so that he's walking next to you. He wraps his arm around your shoulder. "Are you sad our little journey is going to end?"

You don't reply, and you pointedly ignore when Tendō's grin gets a little bit wider. The others, with the exception of him and Ushijima look back at you with soft smiles.

"Are you?" Ushijima suddenly asks, turning to look at you over his shoulder.

The others snicker. Semi elbows both Tendō and Yamagata as they laugh and elbow him back. Semi ends up complaining about how Tendō's elbows are too bony between short fits of laughter.

"Well, I think it's sweet. Who knew that the woman who wanted nothing to do with us would have such a kind heart?" Ōhira says as he leads all of you forwards.

"She's the Dai, of course she would have a kind heart," Ushijima says, baffling you.

The others share contemplative looks before they nod in agreement. You scoff in disbelief. "I'm a bad person but okay."

"Why do you refuse to accept compliments that aren't about your skills?" Semi asks, shaking his head at you.

"Because my fighting skills and chakra control are the only good thing about me," you reply as if it were obvious.

The six of you stop, having reached a cliff that looked down upon the base of a mountain. You walk forwards to peer down. You can barely see the entrance from where you are, but you know what it looks like at this point. You have all become quite acquainted with those entrances by now.

"They're not," Ushijima replies rather firmly, and the others nod their head in agreement.

"Whatever. We can argue about this when we get back to whatever village is closest," you say, as you glance down, lip quirking a little when you see a single beast prowl out of the cave.

"Well aren't you confident?" Yamagata points out, giving you a teasing grin.

"I have a team I can trust, don't I?" You reply, giving them a genuine smile as you take a few steps back.

The five Warriors watch as you jump off the cliff in shock.

Though you had started to show them a more kinder and softer version of yourself, you weren't one for such declarations. You had yet to call them your team to their faces. When you addressed them, you would say things like 'my band of idiots' or 'my beloved dumbasses' but never had you used the word team. They had become accustomed to your crude way of speech. This is the first time you had ever called them your team to their faces.

They all share grins between each other before they jump off the cliff after you.

The Beast that you had pinned to the ground with icicles howls just as the rest of your team joins you. Beast come crawling out of the cave's entrance. Different elements go flying past you to strike them. Boulders, spears of ice, blades of wind, and fire balls go flying past you. Your attention is drawn towards the whips of light that wrap around one of the Beasts. The force behind Tendō's pull causes it to come flying towards you. You extend your fist and a stream of fire sets the Beast ablaze before you dodge out of the way. You turn and watch as it is slammed into the face of the cliff. Your gaze falls on Tendō who grins brightly at you as he gives you a quick salute. You roll your eyes, before closing them as you focus on the wriggling and snarling Beast beneath your feet. In quick succession, you summon fire, wind, earth and light to pierce its remaining four hearts.

Water encompasses your foot as another Beast run towards you. You extend your arms out, before Ushijima slides between you and the beast. You grip onto each other's forearms. With a loud grunt, Ushijima pivots and swings you around just as the water freezes around your feet. Your feet slam into the head of the Beast who lets out a loud cry as the ice shatters and embeds into its leathery skin. You land lithely despite the rather violent attack.

"Only you two could make something romantic violent," Semi says as he raises a pillar of fire.

"Romance is overrated," you reply.

"That was romantic?" Ushijima asks as the two of you let go of each other.

"It is in some tribes," Ōhira supplies with a small smile.

"In Mori culture, couples getting married hold onto each other like that during the ceremony," Yamagata adds, a teasing grin on his lips. "Except without the whole swinging your partner around like a weapon."

"Did we just get married by accident?" Ushijima asks, as he summons stalagmites.

"Ushijima, you are so incredibly lucky that you are strong and handsome," you tell him.

"Yes I am aware, though I must thank you for the handsome comment. However, that did not answer my question."

"No, Ushijima. We're not married."

***

You sit on your bed, staring out your window. You know that it is far past midnight, but you can't find it in yourself to fall asleep. You feel restless. You would like to think that it's the adrenaline from earlier, but a part of you know that that's not the case.

There's something else that's keeping you up. There's something that's making you stay up awake. Something was compelling you to stay up and to check on your team. All five of them had been sound asleep and hadn't move an inch when you had opened the doors to their respective rooms.

You shake your head. Warriors shouldn't be such heavy sleepers.

You look up at the moon. It's not quite a full moon yet, but still, your heart sings as you feel the way moonlight shines down on you. You know that your water-release is stronger at night. You know that the Tougen Tribe worships the Moon, and the strength that he gives. You had even been invited to stay in the village for the Festival of the Moon. You had offered them a placating smile and told them that you would see.

However, you doubt that you would be able. Seldom would you be allowed to indulge in the pleasantries of your old life. Rarely would you be allowed to enjoy the traditions of other villages The peace and safety of the world comes before you. It comes before your enjoyment. You serve the world first. You will always come second.

Such is the fate of the Dai.

Goosebumps raise on your arm and a chill runs down your spine. You can feel them approaching, and you slowly make your way to the window. You wait patiently, feeling the two sources of chakra waiting outside your window. There is one more standing outside your door. You feel as the two outside the window continue to make their way up. You press your back to the wall. You can barely hear one of them press their hand to the window. You can feel the steady flow of chakra as they freeze the window before they break it open. One of them comes in and immediately you strike.

You jump, grappling onto the intruder and twisting your body to pin them to the ground. You throw one hand out, sending a small stream of fire towards the fireplace, lighting it up. You begin to form a stream of light, using it to form a restraint in order to keep the intruder's hands together. The other one outside of the window bursts in. They swing their arms, and causes water to come flying past you towards the fireplace. You barely graze the water with your fingertips, freezing it into ice. It melts and evaporates before it can reach the fire.

You then kick your feet out, attacking the person with forceful swings of your legs. You push yourself up with your arms, using wind-release to give yourself more propulsion as you kick at the person again. However, they manage to grab your foot. You immediately send chakra downwards, until your foot catches fire, and the person lets go with a hiss, water encasing their hands. Your door is suddenly broken open, and you raise your hand. stopping the large stream of water. Before it all even disperses, you step towards the door, thrusting your fingers towards it, a crackle of lightning flying towards the door. The third person collapses to the ground, body convulsing.

You turn your attention back towards the other person who had come through your window. You bring up your forearm to throw off the aim of their punch. You twist your body to attack with your own punch. You're sure they did not expect the gust of air that followed the punch that sent them flying into the wall. You form another chain of light, tossing it to them, and it wraps around their arms and torso before they go crashing to the ground. In the dim light of the fire, you can barely see the emblem stitched onto their jackets. The snowflake between the open maw of an angered wolf.

You immediately freeze up when you realize that there are more in the building and that they are heading towards your team.

You know that the boys are on the floor below you. Your main concern is Semi. While you've helped him improve in combat against water-users, they have not only the advantage of element-type but also numbers. His room is to the left of the one directly below you. However, when you feel out his chakra, he's not in his room. He's in the hallway. You run out of your room, as you pull the water towards you. There's no else on your floor. You move until you are standing above where you feel Semi is. You hold the water with one hand, as you raise your other above your head. You slam your hand into the ground, and a circle of fire burns into the floor, before you fall into the hallway below. You use the water to prevent the fire from burning anymore.

You'll help repair it when this is all over.

You look over at Semi, seeing him fight them off using hand to hand combat. He's selective with his fire use, keeping it contained, and using it enough to evaporate the water. You smirk, a little impressed.

He glances over at you as you stop the streams of water sent his way, freezing them. He melts and evaporates them with a small smile. "Just dropping in?"

You scoff in disgust, all pride flooding from your body. "You spend too much time with Tendō."

You feel the wall of chakra that forms between you, and watch disinterestedly as the Frost members turn their attacks to you. It splashes against the barrier. You don't look behind you as the door opens. "Are you talking about me?" Tendō croons.

You roll your eyes, before you sigh to yourself. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but Tendō," he hums in response. "Keep an eye on Semi, okay? He's doing fine now, but they have more, and I need to check on the others."

"Just say that you're checking on Wakatoshi. You know that Reon and Hayato will be fine. But our poor Wakatoshi is all alone at the end of the hallway, and we're on the third floor. He doesn't really have access to earth now does he?" Tendō says, as he joins Semi in fighting off your attackers. "In fact, I'm surprised that you checked on Semi-Semi first considering how you like Wakatoshi far more than you like us."

You run down the hallway, shouting "that's not true!"

However, before you can even reach the door end of the hallway, someone comes crashing through Ushijima’s door, splintering the wood into pieces. It's Ushijima, and he runs towards you. You move slightly out of the way before you stand your ground to cut off his attackers. Your eyes widen in horror as a mist begins to flow into the hallway.

_You reach forward to open the door to your room. You had heard a thump from your grandparents' bedroom and you fear that your grandfather may have fallen out of bed again. From beneath your door, a mist begins to crawl through the gap. Confused, you open the door to see what is happening. A hand suddenly grabs onto your ankles, yanking you and making you drop the carving your grandfather had made for you. It shatters, but the sound is drowned out by your scream as you are dragged into the mist._

You stagger back, as image after image flashes through your mind. The snarling wolf and the snowflake in its open mouth. The flash of sinister eyes through the mist. Hands reaching for you through it. Bodies scattered across the snow. White stained red. Buildings burning and homes destroyed. Your mother's smiling, tattooed face. The icicle through her back. Her lifeless eyes. The call of the moon. How it shined red before clouds rolled in and thunder rumbled. There are screams. Children are crying. The last breath. Voices speak to you. They scream at you.

Your hand shakes as you reach out, water collects in your hand, and you freeze it. You close your eyes and steady your breathing, feeling the cool ice in your hands. You try and bring yourself back to reality. You feel out the chakra around you, searching for five sources in particular. Your body slowly relaxes as a calm washes through you when you feel them.

You are okay. You are here. They are here.

You open your eyes, and reach out for the unknown sources of chakra. You stare at the people running towards you as you slowly build up your own chakra. Then in a flash, you are in directly in front of them, driving your fist into the person in front. The force of your punch is enough to send them flying back into the others until they all go crashing into the wall. You don't let up however, and you continue your assault before they even get up. However, your body is moving more on instinct. You've managed to bring yourself back to reality, but you can feel your grasp slipping as you continue through the motions of the fight. You fight as if you are blind, keeping your attention on the way the chakra flows through their body. You cut off their moves before they can even begin. You dodge their attacks almost effortlessly. You take them all down one by one, whittling their numbers down.

They are nothing compared to you. You are a weapon. You are the strongest. You are—

"Wakatoshi!"

You whip around after you take out what you thought had been the last guy, but then you remember the mist.

The Frost is considered a terrorist organization, but they are credited with the creation of several techniques. The most notable is their mist technique which has become a staple of their organization. Unlike normal mist techniques, they can blend their chakra into it. It makes it nearly impossible for those who can sense chakra to locate them.

And you had fallen for it.

"Now, now. Let's calm down with all the fighting," one of the members not holding Ushijima says. You tense, watching as he presses his thumb to Ushijima's forehead "We wouldn't want to act too hasty. Unless, of course, you want us to take his power?"

You glare at him. "What do you want?"

"I think you know what we want," he replies, that smile still present on his face.

"I won't go anywhere with you," you snarl, but the infuriating smile gets wider.

"Are you really in a position to refuse? I could sever his chakra flows before you could even reach me. And I'm sure you don't want that." The man hums. "Are you really willing to be the end of Sougen's pride and joy, the Young Giant?"

You clamp your mouth shut, but your frown remains. You can't dispute his words. If you refuse to comply Ushijima will lose his chakra release at the least. He will lose his life at the worst. It's not a risk you're willing to take. You would rather die than have innocent lives be put at risk because of you.

You let out a heavy sigh. "I'll go. Now let him go."

"(y/n)!" Tendō calls out, voice incredulous. "You aren't seriously going to—"

"Satori," you say, not sparing him a glance. His mouth clamps shut at your use of his first name. "As leader of this group, I am making this decision with or without my subordinates support. I will not be challenged."

"As expected of the Dai," the Frost member hums, taking his hand away off Ushijima's forehead. With a nod of his head, the others release Ushijima.

You stretch out your hand, and immediately an icicle is pointed at your entire team. You glance over at The Frost members. "Drop them," you firmly tell them. "I am not attacking. Grant me one last action as leader of my team."

The supposed leader of this group of attackers looks at you with a curious smile on his lips. "I suppose we can. However, one wrong move, and this will be the last breaths they will ever take.

"Understood." You reply, rather nonchalantly. You look over at Ushijima, trying to convey your every thought with your eyes alone. He almost imperceptibly nods. "Ushijima Wakatoshi, take my hand."

Slowly, a calloused palm slides into yours. His hand is warm and much larger than your own. You think you're holding on much tighter than you intended, but Ushijima does not flinch. He squeezes your hand reassuringly, as he looks directly into your eyes.

"Leaders chosen by the High Council must abide by certain rules. One must forfeit their leadership if they fail to comply. I have put innocent lives in unnecessary danger, which is considered to be the most erroneous action a leader can make. By the standards of the High Council, I no longer am qualified to lead this team." You say, finally glancing at your team who looks at you with confusion and betrayal. "Therefor, I am relinquishing my leadership to the one I, and the rest of this team trust the most. Ushijima Wakatoshi of Sougen, will you accept?"

He does not hesitate. "Yes."

You offer him a smile as you release his hand. You then turn your direction back to The Frost members, holding out your hands. You raise your eyebrow as the restraints they use are composed entirely of metal that encompasses your entire hands. The restrains are hooked to chains that are connected to cuffs that they strap to your ankles. You follow after The Frost members as they begin to walk out of the inn.

You look back with a smile for your team one last time. "I'll see you later, yeah?"

And then you're gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sometimes i will take weeks to update and if it be like that then it be like that
> 
> also yes the chakra she was reaching for during her episode was her team's
> 
> talk to me on [tumblr](https://llllver.tumblr.com)


	9. frost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> you're right in the wolves' den

The trek to wherever they were taking you had taken three days. Though you have no clue as to which direction they took. They had blindfolded you as soon as you had exited the inn, and guided you into the basket of a sled. Not once had they taken the blindfold off you. They fed you and gave you water simply because they thought you couldn't do it yourself with nearly everything restrained and being blindfolded.

But you digress.

You perk up at a very loud sound in the distance. It's the sound of rushing water. You know exactly where you are, but you're curious as to why you are here.

The sound of the waterfall is now deafening. You wince slightly at just how loud the crashing water sounds, enhanced by your lack of sight.. You're yanked up by the back of your shirt. You roll your eyes, stepping out of the basket, just as someone takes the chains of your restraints, leading you forwards. You drag your feet along the snowy ground as you follow. You feel the mist of water from the waterfall. You shiver slightly at the cool feeling but you keep walking. You realize that all of you are approaching the waterfall.

You wonder if they're going to push you into it and drown you in some kind of ritual you never learned about.

Regardless, you press your foot a little harder into ground every few steps, imagining the exact shape that you want. You smirk a little to yourself.

You can no longer hear the rattling of your chains anymore as they start to lead you behind the waterfall. You can feel the damp, and cold rocks beneath your feet. You continue to leave a subtle mark every few steps, though it gets slightly messed up when they turn you suddenly.

You let yourself fall onto your side, not wanting to save yourself lest they realize that you've been able to use chakra-release this entire time. You grunt, feeling the slight sting of scrapes. You're yanked up once more by the back of your shirt.

"Who knew the Dai could be so clumsy without her power. She's like a newborn calf," you hear someone remark snidely. You feel out for their chakra, before you shift your foot against the ground. You hear as they stumble slightly, and you manage to repress a smile at their curse.

You follow after them as the sound of the waterfall gets quieter as you walk deeper and deeper into wherever they're bringing you. You can hear quiet greetings. There are people bowing from what you can tell. Some show more camaraderie, congratulating the group leading you on their success. Some people point out how there aren't as many of them as when they left. They were a necessary casualty one of them will answer.

You falter when you feel a large source of chakra. It hits you like a strong wave. Whatever the source is, it's far stronger than what any human could ever possess. The power of it is immense and sends chills down your spine. The only time you've ever felt chakra anywhere close to this was when Tanji was showing you how to properly tap into the gift the only Deity you would ever respect had given to humanity

They lead you forwards until you're basically encased by the chakra. You can barely feel the people around you, it is so intense. In the back of your mind, you register the group around you kneeling.

"Congratulations on the success of your mission." You don't bother to listen to the rest.

The chakra in this room is looming over you. It feels as if it's weighing you down, and you wonder how the others in the room aren't succumbing to the pressure. You can barely hold your own against it, and you're fighting against it to stay standing.

But there is something else. There is something else that lingers in the room. It is somber. It is sinister. It makes your stomach sink. You swear you can hear whispering voices in your ears. The muttering is incomprehensible but nonetheless unsettling. You've felt this kind of energy before. Most recently when you passed by villages destroyed by Beasts. Your stomach churns and your discomfort rises.

Suddenly your blindfold is ripped from your eyes, and you blink in confusion, eyes trying to adjust. The room is dark for the most part, the only sources of light being five crystalline structures in the corners of the room, and the moonlight streaming through holes in the ceiling. The crystals are all different colours, and seem to pulse with power. You glance up at the moon and then back down. Your eyes follow the intricate patterns engraved in the ground. You focus your attention on the three circles forming a triangle. The moonlight shines down on the three of the circles, glinting off the metal rings attached to the ground.

"Well, look at you. You've grown into a fine woman, haven't you?" You look over at the woman speaking. "Tell me, did you ever gain control over your clan's cursed power? The power that took away my comrades and the man I loved?"

She is dressed in thick robes, looking almost like a Tougen noble. Her greying hair is pulled out of her face and tied up into a beautiful bun. Half of her face is marred with scars. She hobbles towards you the, taps of her cane against the stone floors practically echoing in the room. You can feel the evil that she radiates, and the resentment in her icy blue eye pierces through you. As the man who had spoken to the inn stands next to her, you can see a resemblance.

You answer her question with a voice croaking from disuse. "I barely remember that night, let alone the power I didn't even know existed. Where could I have learned about it or how to control it when no one in the family remembered it? If my hunches are correct, then Tougen's council had banned the use and passing on of the knowledge before sending my clan off to somewhere remote in the tundras to hopefully kill them off just in case they didn't follow through. Those in power at the time should be commended for being subtle enough that no one caught on despite the similar incidents that were happening in the Mori tribe. But I suppose it's because no one really cared for Tougen."

She looks at you with interest. "You seem to know some things about how corrupt things are not only domestically, but the internationally as well," she hums. "Maybe it's not too late after all."

She closes her eye in thought, and in the corner of your eyes, you can see the other Frost members looking at her in confusion.

"Mother?" The man standing next to her questions.

She looks over at him, taking in his questioning gaze. She offers him a soft smile, you can see the adoration in her eyes. She reaches up with the hand not holding onto her cane, patting his cheek lightly. "Please take your team out of here, Siqiniq. I wish to speak with the Dai in private. Get some well deserved rest." With a nod, the man departs, the rest of his team following with quiet farewells.

You can hear two doors being closed behind you. You reach out, and can't detect anyone else in the sea of chakra, so you simply assume that the two of you are alone. You stare right into her eye.

"I know that you were quite young when you were taken to Sougen, but I'm curious if you were given any names?" She asks suddenly.

"I treasure the names I was given greatly. I'd rather not give it to the ones who killed the people who gave them to me," you say, anger creeping into your voice. You can feel your hands trembling as you try to hold back your power. "Don't try to soften me up with false interest in sacred things. Get straight to the point."

"Do you know what this place is?" She asks you, disregarding your comment. You choose to reply with a shake of your head, regarding her suspiciously. "This place was made by the Gods. It took us nearly a century to understand what it was used for, but we found that it was used to transfer the ability to use chakra-release to a non-user. It took us decades and many experiments to understand how it functioned. As expected of the Gods, it required a sacrifice and the power of the full moon. However, this wasn't going to be our first plan when it came to reaching our goal."

You don't speak, letting her continue.

"Our initial goal was to recruit the future Dai so then we could properly complete our goal. Things didn't exactly go to plan, so we had to focus on figuring out just how this place works, and we were set on this plan. Once we had completed it, we just needed you. We found the nests of the Beasts and awoke them to cause enough chaos to lure you over so we could capture you. But I think things could work out in both of our favours," she says, as she looks upon you as if she were dissecting you. "If you join our cause, we won't have to take your power from you. All you would need to do is usurp the High Council to restore Tougen's pride."

You stand there in silence, letting her words sink in.

You scoff. "That wouldn't be for Tougen. That would be for The Frost's own pride." You say, looking at her impassively. "I'll admit that I'm not exactly satisfied with the High Council, nor am I satisfied with most of the governing bodies of the tribes. There's a lot of issues that exist because of their actions and the actions of their predecessors, but at least they're trying. I give them shit because I won't settle for the bare minimum. The people of this world are depending on me, so I will do everything I can to make sure their voices are heard. The world needs the High Council in power. Not The Frost."

"I see," she hums. "You wouldn't even change the council leading Tougen? Even if they're making our people suffer?"

"The people are struggling, that is true. But their suffering is not their only characteristic. The people are strong, and they are persevering through everything that the Council and The Frost have thrown at them. Traditions and stories are still being passed on. Ancient festivals are being held to this day. Change is slowly being brought upon by the people. The people chose a Representative who cares for them and who will do everything in his power to protect them, after all." You tell her.

"As if that wimpy Representative can do anything. As if he gives a damn about our people," she says, venom seeping into her words. You can practically see the cracks forming in her pleasant mask.

"But he's the reason why I'm here. That so-called 'wimp?' He went against the Council's wishes so that he could protect the people. He's the one who asked me to help advocate for more funding in villages as opposed to an increase in authority once the Beast situation was dealt with. He gives more of a damn for the people than you ever have." You glare right into her eye. "So don't you dare refer to them as 'our people.' Not when The Frost is the reason they're suffering. Not when The Frost has taken so many innocent lives. I will stand by the people of this country— of this world— because I am the one who is destined to protect them. So you and your little organization can go fuck yourselves." 

All sense of pleasantry drops at your words. Her gaze hardens. "Then it is your loss. Your power will be The Frost's. Then you can watch helplessly as your beloved world falls at our feet."

"You think that you'll have control over my power just by transferring it? Don't make me laugh," you tell her mockingly. "It doesn't matter who you transfer it to, they wouldn't be able to handle it. Not that you'll be able to do it in time. They'll save me before your plan could fail spectacularly."

"Well aren't you confident?" She sneers. "The full moon is in four days. I doubt that they will find us before then."

"They'll find me." You state with no hesitation. "I haven't put my faith in anyone else in years. Not in the High Council. Not in Dai Tanji. Not in one single person. But they're the ones who I have given it to. They won't let me down."

"Oh, but they will," she tells you, tapping her cane against the stone floor three times, and suddenly the door is opened.

"Yes, Atiqtaliq?"

"Take her down to the cells," she commands with a wave of her hands.

You smile at her as you are taken by the chains, and her glare deepens. You follow after them as they lead you away. You can barely feel the way her chakra shifts behind you. You tilt your head to the side as if you were stretching your neck. You smirk as water splashes against the back of the head of the person leading you. Your expression smooths over as they turn around in confusion.

"Make sure she has no meal for the night."

The order does little to dissuade your satisfaction.

You sit down, watching as they shut the door to your cell. You give them a smarmy smile as they sneer down at you. You stand up, and make your way to the furs in the corner of the room furthest from the cell door. You sit down on them, just so that you'll be off the cold floor.

You feel someone approaching, and your head rolls to the side, looking over. A rather young girl is standing there looking at you. You don't recognize her or her chakra. Her eyes are a dark blue and full of determination. It's a contrast to the slight unease in her posture. Your eyebrow raises, waiting for her to say something.

She doesn't speak.

"What?" You ask, watching as she flinches slightly.

"I'm Tunerk. I wanted to meet my predecessor," she tells you, resolutely. "I want to meet the one trained by the Demon Dai."

You close your eyes, properly feeling out her chakra. She has a decent reserve, but it's not enough to handle the amount of chakra expended with chakra-release. It's certainly not enough to handle the amount of chakra used by a Dai. It's a little harder to feel her connections since you're not touching her. However, the lack of certain flows makes you realize that she's a non-user.

"Do you even know how to use your chakra?" You ask, hearing the slight hitch of her breath. Your eyes open, and you see that her face is flushed a darker colour.

"I—I'm a non-user, so I can't use chakra," she stutters, and you heave a heavy sigh.

"How could I forget? The Frost has little to no non-users. In fact, I think you're the first one I've met." You say, looking directly into her eyes. "You're wrong by the way. Non-users _can_ use chakra."

"That's not true." She tells you, huffing indignantly.

"It most certainly is," you counter. "I did not spend my first few days at Sougen getting my ass kicked by non-users just for you to say that."

"But the elders would never lie to me," she responds.

You tilt your head, curious. "How long have you been with The Frost?"

"Almost twelve years now!" She declares, rather proudly. "They saved me when I was three and my village was burning down."

"Are you sure they weren't the one's who did it in the first place?" You ask, and she looks appalled by the thought.

"Th-they would never!"

For an organization who claims to want to rid Tougen of corruptness, it seems they have no qualms about being corrupt themselves. But that doesn't really come as a surprise to you.

"How sure are you about that?" You ask. "I bet you know nothing about the things The Frost has done. I'm sure you've never left this place since they brought you here. I bet everything you know is what they've told you."

"And if it is?" She asks, crossing her arms.

"Well, I can assure you that you have no right to tell me about what The Frost when I certainly know more than you." You say.

"How could you know more than I? I've lived with them for all these years." She doesn't stutter, but her voice quivers. "I will always believe them, and do anything they ask of me."

You try your best to not show how her words have angered you. She doesn't know better. She doesn't know what they're capable of. You shouldn't take your anger out on her.

You let out a quiet breath, trying to expel your anger. "You've lived with them? I lost everything because of them."

Your words stun her into silence.

"So do you really want my power? Or do you want it because it's what they told you to do. Are you following through because feel like you owe it to them?" You question. You place the metal restraining your hands to the ground, as you slowly push yourself up to a standing positions, and she takes a cautious step back. "Let me ask you, Tunerk. Have you ever done anything for yourself?"

"S-so what if I haven't! There's nothing wrong for doing things for others! There's nothing wrong with me taking on this responsibility that they've asked of me!" She exclaims, before she claps her hands over her mouth in surprise. Her hands are trembling as she pulls them away. "I-I'm sorry. I—"

"Why are you apologizing?" You cut her off. "There's nothing wrong with defending yourself. And I'm not saying that there is anything wrong with doing things for others. But you have to think about yourself sometimes, kid."

"Well, this is what I want to do." She tells you as she walks up the the bars, holding them and looking into your eyes.

You hum, slowly walking towards her. "Even if you don't have the chakra to handle five elements? They might even kill you trying to get you at the level they would need to overthrow an entire system. It seems like the most likely outcome, considering they didn't even teach you how to use chakra-release as you are now."

"They wouldn't put my life at risk like that. They care about me." She tells you, her voice full of emotion.

"Do they? Or do they care about what you can do for them?" You ask rather bluntly, stopping right in front of her.

She's quiet. You feel bad when you see a tear fall from her eye. She sniffles, quickly wiping her eye with the back of her hand. You sigh, as you turn away.

"But it doesn't matter. The Frost won't succeed. Ushijima and the others will find me." You say.

"Ushijima? Who's that?" She asks. The guilt eats at you hearing her trembling voice. "How can you be so sure they'll find you?"

"Who is he?" You repeat, closing your eyes in thought. "That's a good question."

His face flashes through your mind. Relatively expressionless, but attractive nonetheless. You think of the way his lips curl up in amusement. His smiles are small, but convey clearly how happy and comfortable he is. He is blunt, but sincere. He is slightly oblivious, and sometimes he comes off as rude, but he is kind.

You think of late nights with his face illuminated by a fire or a lantern. The contrast of light and shadows on his face painting a beautiful picture. You think of his rare laugh, the way his chest rumbles. You think of his hands, calloused from his years of training, proof of his dedication. You think of how gentle they are when holding yours.

"Ushijima is a great Warrior. He's considered one of the best earth-users of our generation. People think he's cold and unapproachable. And yes, he might sometimes come off a little tactless, but he means well. He's sweet and kind, and hardworking. He's made me rethink a lot of things I had been so set on. After all these years of only trusting myself, he— and the others— are the ones I've decided to trust." You smile to yourself. "As for how I'm so sure that they'll find me?"

You shake your arm ever so slightly. You feel the weight of the gem you have been carrying with you this whole time shifting around in your sleeve.

_Slowly, he slides his hand slides into yours. Your hand is warm, and much smaller than his own. You're holding onto his hand tighter than you ever have before. He squeezes your hand reassuringly, as he looks directly into your eyes. He feels as your chakra links with his. He doesn't loosen his grip, guiding his gem to you. He feels at it slides into your sleeve, and the two of you guide it up further. His eyes flashes down briefly as you almost imperceptibly squeeze your arm to your torso. Your eyes tell him that you will keep it safe. He hopes his own gaze conveys that he won't let you down._

"Are we getting close?"

Ushijima looks over his shoulder at Yamagata. He nods his head. "The connection is getting stronger. We should be there in about four days."

"I just have a feeling in my heart."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i have not proofread this. this chapter is actually pure poo poo and idk what i'm doing anymore but also i simply do not care. it just be like that sometimes ig🤷🏻♀️🤷🏻♀️🤷🏻♀️
> 
> talk to me on [tumblr](https://llllver.tumblr.com)


	10. waiting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> time passes, but you are patient.

You don't really have a grasp of time in your cell. There are no windows, and as far as you're concerned, they give you meals inconsistently. They don't even send guards to check on you that often. You haven't seen Atiqtaliq at all. You've seen her son once or twice, watching disinterestedly as he spits at your feet when he passes by.

Your most frequent visitor is Tunerk.

She visits whenever she can, or so she tells you. She tells you about the lessons she's had while she was gone. The first few times, you only sit there quietly, listening to her ramble. Despite the fact that you challenged her worldviews and made her cry, she's still polite. She greets you when she shows up, and bids you farewell when she leaves. She is bright and happy, and a part of you wonders how The Frost could have raised a kid into someone like her when the rest of them hate your guts despite not even knowing your name.

The first time you speak to her after your first encounter is when she comes back from a lesson. She apparently learned about the basic forms of wind-release. She blabbers as she shows you the forms she remembers, and you're quite impressed at how many she can recall. Though her execution is a little lacking.

"I don't remember the sixth form, but the seventh form is like this! And then you spread your arms out like this. And the textbook said that from this form you can—"

You speak up, cutting her off. "Not bad, kid, but your stance isn't quite right. You need to spread your legs out more, and you're a little too relaxed. If you actually used wind-release you'd just end up blowing yourself away."

You watch with a blank face, as her arms slowly drop to her side, her jaw dropping as well. She doesn't speak, and remains quiet. You shake your head, an amused smile tugging at the corner of your lips.

"I'm sure they've taught you the basic forms for water-release, but have you learned the forms for fire-release?" You ask, and her legs slowly slide together as she nods her head. "Have you learned the forms for earth-release?"

"No," her voice coming barely across as a whisper. "They said I wasn't ready yet."

"Oh, they actually got something right? I'm impressed." You hum, as you straighten up from where you're sitting. "Well, go on then. Show me what you've learned."

"W-what?" She stutters, as she brings her legs together, and clasps her hands together in front of her.

"I need to make sure that you're learning the forms properly." You reply. "I told you that my team will find me, however if you're learning the forms I want to make sure that it's properly. And even as a non-user, it's beneficial to learn the chakra release forms. It makes it easier to learn how to use chakra in hand to hand combat. So, come on. Show me what you've learned."

You had spent you would guess at least an hour or so watching her go through the forms. You correct her form, but never berating her for getting it wrong. She's not bad, just inexperienced with controlling the tension in her body. Sometimes she is too loose for certain forms, or her balance is off slightly. You take the time to explain to her how it would feel, and where the chakra would typically flow. You answer her questions, and ask your own to see how well she herself understands. You don't scold her when she gets it wrong. You just offer hints and prompts to help her.

The next few times Tunerk shows up she starts talking more about herself. She talks about she is just an only child. She's not very close with the others. She's one of the few non-users and she doesn't interact with them much. She tells you that she thinks she's the only non-user learning about chakra and the forms. The only ones she really ever talks to are her teachers, Atiqtaliq and on occasion Siqiniq.

"And now you!" She adds, rather cheerfully. "I should really thank you for all that you've done for me."

"Even when all I've ever told you is that you need to work on your forms?" You ask, giving her an incredulous look.

"You've done so much more than that though," she replies, with a shake of her head. "You've taught me a lot of things. You've explained things that my teachers would never explain or never had the answers to. You're patient with me even though I struggle a lot. And even if you believe in Ushijima and the others, you still believe in me, and that I'm capable."

"Kid, all I'm doing is being nice. I thought you said the members of The Frost treat you well," you tease. Your eyebrow cocks watching as Tunerk grows more bashful. "Weren't you mad at me because I was accusing them of being criminals?"

"They do treat me well! And I was mad at you first," she mumbles. "But then I thought about it, and I don't know what you do. Everyone else says these things about how you're just posing as humanity's protector and that you don't actually care for the people. They say that you're a coldhearted killer because you killed members of The Frost." She trails off, looking away.

"I mean they're not wrong about how I killed members, but they don't exactly talk about what happened now do they?" You say, amusement flooding from your body, lips pursing and eyebrows furrowing.

Tunerk keeps her gaze on the ground. She doesn't speak for a good minute or so. "Wh-what _did_ happen?"

"Are you sure you want to hear what I have to say? Because I'm certainly not in the mood to prove myself." You tell her, completely serious. She finally looks up at you, and nods her head.

"I didn't want to believe that The Frost could do anything wrong. I didn't want to believe you because you were a stranger and the bane of their existence. The Gods resented you, so it was right that we did, too." She starts to wring her hands together. "But you speak to me with sincerity. You don't turn me away even though I'm probably a nuisance taking up too much of your time. So this time I want to listen. I want to believe you. I want to believe in you like how you believe in your team. Like how you believe in _me_."

"Even if what I have to say could completely change the way you see them?" You ask.

She nods, albeit a little hesitantly. "Even then."

"The Frost is no stranger to kidnapping and pillaging. When it was announced the next Dai had been chosen, they started attacking other villages and kidnapping children. But the night they came to my village? They killed every single person. Every child, every elder, no one was spared." You breathe out heavily, closing your eyes as screams and images obscured by mist flash through your mind. "Watching my mother die before my very eyes was the final straw. The strong emotions I felt activated the Dai State. I wasn't exactly in control, so my memory of it is spotty at best. I don't remember any other element being used beyond water. But the Dai State had brought out a dormant power within me. A power that my clan had forgotten long before I was born."

You open your eyes to look at her. She swallows nervously as she quietly repeats, "'a dormant power?'"

"There are abilities that are considered to be genetic. Powers that only those from that bloodline could use. Some of these powers are still seen to this day, like the ability to manipulate metal or the ability to manipulate wood. Some have gone 'extinct' because Councils forbade the practice of the ability because they were so dangerous, like the ability to steal the very air from someone's lungs or in my clan's case, the ability to manipulate blood." You reply, as you lean your head back against the wall. "I don't really remember how they died, I just remember seeing some of their corpses when Dai Tanji found me the next morning."

Your eyes fall back on the girl standing outside your cell. She remains quiet, frowning to herself. She looks deep in thought, and you wonder what is going on inside that head. She looks up, but avoids your gaze. Her mouth repeatedly opens and closes as she struggles to find the words.

She finally speaks with a tremor in her voice. "Do you think they burned down my village, too?"

Your lack of verbal answer tells her all she needs to know.

"I-I need to go." She mumbles, walking off.

You sigh and close your eyes

She comes back an hour after they'd given you your meal and water. Your eyebrow raises seeing her standing there looking apologetic and almost afraid.

"Yes?"

She jumps, eyes flitting between you and the ground. She speaks up after a moment's hesitation. "D-do you hate The Frost?"

"Yes." You reply, almost instantaneously.

"But I thought the Dai isn't supposed to hate?" She mumbles, still avoiding your gaze.

"Why? Because it's not right for the Dai to hate?" You ask, with a roll of your eyes. "I am a human just like you. I am susceptible to emotions just like anyone else. And I'm pretty sure that most of the Gods hate that I exist. What's wrong with me being hateful if our divine creators did the same?"

"That's fair," she replies. You observe as she starts to curl in on herself. She crosses her arms over her body, slowly rubbing her arms with her hands. Another brief silence before she speaks again. "Do you hate me?"

Her words stun you, and you can't help but blink in surprise. You honestly hadn't expected that as a follow-up question. You wonder if you've ever done anything recently to make her think so. If your words had implied that you could possibly have any feelings of resentment towards her.

"Why would I ever hate you?"

"Because I was willing to take your power? Because I didn't want to believe you? Because I'm part of The Frost." She lists off the reasons, still not making eye contact. "Because I'm annoying, and I bother you all the time. Because I'm too curious for my own good. Because—"

You cut her off. "Enough." Her mouth clamps shut, and she straightens up, looking at you from the corner of her eye.

"I'm sorry, I—"

"Tunerk, you don't have to apologize. Now will you listen to what I have to say before you decide to keep going?" She nods her head, and a small smile pulls at your lips. "Kid, I don't hate you. You have never given me a reason to hate you. If you were bothering me, I would let you know. Is there anything else I need to address?"

She's quiet, looking you with wide, tear-filled eyes. She starts to sniffle as the tears come streaming down her face. She shakes her head, pursing her lips to try and hold back her tears. You shake your own head, watching her try to look strong.

"Just cry it out, kid. Don't hold back." You tell her, watching her with fond eyes. "There's nothing wrong with crying."

She nods her head, as quiet sobs escape from her lips. You sit there, watching as her shoulders shake with each sob.

You assume it's the next day when she shows up in a different set of clothes. It's the nicest set of clothes she's worn since you've met her. The design itself is quite familiar. You've seen many photos and paintings of your predecessors wearing something similar. Chief Hōzuki had gifted you similar robes. 

However, Tunerk looks solemn. You have a guess as to why she looks like that.

"It's going to be a full moon tonight."

"I know."

"Your team hasn't come yet."

"I know."

"And you still believe in them?"

"My faith in them is unwavering." You reply, looking over at her with a small smile. "You look lovely by the way. Although, I'm pretty sure I should be the one wearing those. Or are we going to be matching?"

She doesn't reply, and looks almost offended by your words. Your smile falls. "What?"

"How can you make a joke like that? You're going to lose your powers tonight and you're making jokes about wearing matching clothes!" Her eyes glisten with tears as she repeatedly huffs, trying to hold back her tears.

You slowly stand up with a small smile on your lips. "I can make jokes like that for a couple reasons, Tunerk. My team will come. And even if I lose my powers it won't be a big deal to me. They'll go to a good kid, and that'll be a huge burden off my shoulders." You shrug your shoulders, as your smile becomes more somber. "I'll feel guilty that it would fall on you though."

Tunerk blinks her tears away, now looking at you with confusion. "Isn't the ability to command the elements a blessing? Isn't it the highest honour to become the Dai?"

"The power over the elements that the Gods gifted to humanity was given centuries ago. They haven't interfered in human affairs since the creation of the Beasts." Your lips purse as you get ready to address her other comment. "And I don't know if you could consider being the Dai as a high honour. Is it really an honour to give up your childhood just so you can be ready to save the world?"

She goes quiet, looking at you with tearful eyes once more. "You—"

"There's no reason to cry for me, kid. I'll be fine." You try to reassure her as you finally go to sit back down. "Now go ahead and run along. I'll see you later. And I'll make sure to introduce the others to you when this is all over."

Her mouth opens to say something else, but when she makes eye contact, she clamps her mouth shut. She nods her head and leaves with a quiet goodbye.

Then you close your eyes, waiting.

You open your eyes as someone approaches. Your eyebrow raises at the elderly woman. She opens the cell door, and slowly walks inside your cell approaching you. She kneels, and then lays a small pot of black paint out before you. With a closer look at her face, you can see the ink on her face. It makes you think of the elderly women that were from your village. Of your mother.

"Who are you?" You ask. She doesn't reply, shaking her head as she taps her throat. "You can't speak?"

She nods her head. Dread and anger pools in your stomach. You're a little hesitant to ask your next question. But you need to know. "Is it because of The Frost?"

She nods her head and your blood starts to boil.

For an organization that is supposedly so concerned with Tougen's future and with its people, they have no shame in silencing elders. Elders who are vital to preserving and passing on traditions and stories. Every time an elder spoke, you listened with rapt attention. You hung onto their every word because the elders are wise and full of knowledge. The fact that The Frost would silence them disgusts you.

You huff, before you try and soften your expression. "What's the paint for?" You ask her. She acts out dipping her finger into the small pot, and then traces the lines on her face with her finger. You nod slowly. "I see. Please put in the same care that yours had been done with."

She nods her head, as she finally dips her pinky finger into the black paint. You close her eyes, allowing her to use the cool substance to paint lines across your features. You crack one eye open as she draws a few lines on your face.

"Do they even know the meaning of your tattoos?" You ask, and she shakes her head. "Figures."

You close your eyes again, feeling the way her gentle finger runs across your skin. You try your best to picture the lines she carefully paints. As an image forms in your mind, the corners of your mouth turn down. Her finger hovers over your chin, and she pulls away. You open your eye, confused. However, she looks at you quizzically. You close your eyes.

"It was my mother's."

She nods her head in understanding, a solemn look in her eyes. You close your eyes, allowing her to finish. You open your eyes when her finger draws the last line. She smiles at you, her eyes crinkling as she gently pats your cheek. You smile at her in return. She takes the small pot of ink while you move into a crouching position. You reach out, and she grabs onto your restraints, and you slowly stand up, helping her up.

You lead her towards the cell door and you give her one last smile. "I have some friends coming to get me. I'll make sure to save you, too."

She smiles at you fondly, gesturing with her hand to come closer. You lean your head down, and she gently pats your head before she leaves out the cell door. She locks it and gives you one last smile. She gestures something with her hands before she walks away.

You lean back against the wall, slowly sliding down to a seating position. You smile to yourself.

You should learn what that means.

***

You don't look up when two people approach you. You watch them disinterestedly as they walk into your cell. One of them pulls you up to your feet by your restraints, and the other throws a robe around your shoulders. You glance down at it, immediately noting that it matches the one Tunerk had been wearing earlier. You nearly laugh looking at the contrast of your probably week old pajamas and the gorgeous robe they had given you.

The one holding your chains tugs, obviously trying to make you fall forwards, but you don't budge. You give a small smirk as you start to walk forward. They sneer at you, but you elect to ignore them, quietly following as they lead you back to that room.

You feel the chakra before you even make it to the doors. But you forget that heavy weight as soon as you walk in.

Your blood starts to boil as anger pools in your stomach. Disgust fills you, and for a mere second you lose control of your power. However, you doubt anyone of them are even able to feel the slight change when the chakra in this room is already so imposing. Your eyes find Atiqtaliq's and glare right into her eye.

"You disgust me. You are fucking _sick_ ," you snarl, finally stumbling as they drag you towards the only empty circle. They attach your chains to the metal rings, and they rattle loudly as you turn to glare at Atiqtaliq. "You are willing to sacrifice a child." You can't bear to look at the child crying, and gagged. Chained to their circle like you, like Tunerk. You might actually lose control of your power.

"He doesn't really have any use for us. We already have plenty of children who are already far more adept water-users. And this is his grandmother's punishment for attempting to betray us after all we did. Saving her and her grandson from their burning village. Taking them in." Atiqtaliq tells you, giving you a small smirk. "You met her earlier. She was the one who gave you those pretty markings. You match your mother now."

"Do you think her tattoos were just to look pretty?" You almost shout, absolutely furious.

"What does it matter? The practice is practically non-existent. How tragic to lose a part of your culture." She tells you, rather condescendingly. But before you can get another word in, she speaks again. "Now, didn't you say that your team was going to find you? There's only a few minutes until the moon reaches its peak. You are moments away from losing everything."

You scoff, lip curling into a sneer.

"I already lost everything a long time ago. The power I have has never meant much to me." You reply, glancing at Tunerk who looks at you helplessly, and finally looking at the crying child who looks at you with so much fear that it makes your heart ache. "But recently I have found feelings I lost and new ones I did not know I would ever feel. And I plan to protect these feelings. Besides, I already told you," you trail off, as you hear a rumbling, and shouting somewhere outside the room.

You smile to yourself as Antiqtaliq head snaps towards the door behind you. The shouting gets louder. You hear the sound of something colliding with the door, and suddenly a gust of air blows them open. Your grin gets wider as you take in Atiqtaliq's absolutely livid expression.

"They'll find me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> is this chapter necessary? no. do i care? NOPE.
> 
> anyways tunerk is my child and I will die for her without hesitation
> 
> talk to me on [tumblr](https://llllver.tumblr.com)


	11. together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> will you escape?
> 
> tw // blood, injury

People run past you towards Atiqtaliq, surrounding her protectively. They glare behind you, and you can faintly feel the five of them coming towards you. You smile at Tunerk who looks stunned, and the other child staring at you. You look over your shoulders, grinning at them. Your smile softens, seeing the relieved look in Ushijima's eyes. Then you look to Tendō, tilting your head in the direction of the kids.

"Mind helping me out?" You ask, and he nods his head.

You feel the chakra is put in place, and you turn your attention towards Atiqtaliq. The two kids are between you and the group protecting her. Regardless, you take a deep inhale, feeling your chakra collect. You feel the way heat builds in your throat. And then you exhale, a large stream of fire coming from your mouth. Both children flinch, Tunerk screaming, but the barrier reveals itself, and the fire goes past the two of them towards the group. Water suddenly rises from large pots and puts out your flame.

"She can still use chakra-release?" One of them exclaims, and you smirk.

"I wouldn't have survived the trip here if I couldn't. At least not in one piece," you reply, with a shrug.

"How did you find this place?" Atiqtaliq speaks up, looking at the five men behind you with a burning fury in her eyes.

"The day she was taken from me—"

Tendō cuts Ushijima off. "She's not a possession, Wakatoshi. Someone could take that as rude."

"Is that so? I did not realize." You nearly start laughing at Tunerk's face as she looks between you and your team in disbelief. It's a reasonable expression considering that you had spoken about your team with such fondness you're sure this wasn't what she had expected.

But to be fair, you had also called them 'my beloved dumbasses.'

"Regardless," Ushijima pauses, and you turn to watch him as he walks towards you. You offer him another small smile, watching until he stands right beside you. He holds his hand out expectantly, and you feel the way the way his Heartstone moves up your sleeve, and then it flies out of your top into his hand. "It's not hard to find her when she is taking care of something that is very precious to me."

"He might not have seemed like it, but he was really worried," Yamagata tells you as he approaches from behind. He crouches down as he forms a small blade of air that continuously spins in the palm of his hand. He brings it to the chain, and you watch in interest as the chains holding your ankles together snapped. You then look up at Ushijima who nods in confirmation.

"I took really good care of your Heartstone," you tell him, as Yamagata severs the last chain. "There shouldn't be a single scratch on it."

The others regard you with varying expressions of disappointment and disbelief. Ushijima's eyebrows furrow. You tilt your head in confusion. "What?"

"He wasn't worried about the rock. He was worried about you, you glow-worm," Tendō says, laughing at the face you make at him.

"Oh, shut the hell up, you fu—"

"He's right, though. Yes, my Heartstone is quite important to me, but you are more precious." Your eyes widen, and you look at him, your jaw dropping. Before you can say anything, he speaks up again. "Do you need help getting out of the last of your restraints?"

Your mouth clamps shut and you slowly shake your head. He gives you a curt nod, heading towards Tunerk and the young boy. He digs his heel into the ground, and the rings pop out, still attached to small chunks of earth. he picks them both up and goes to run to the others. However he pauses beside you, stopping to examine your face. "Is that supposed to be an imitation of the way women in your village used to tattoo their faces to establish their fate when they pass?"

"In a way. I don't think they know what it means," you reply, glaring at the cluster of Frost members.

"Well that's ignorant." He replies as he walks past.

"Yeah." You think about all they have done. Their careless words. Their claims. "They really are."

You close your eyes, focusing on the flow of your chakra. You direct it towards your hands, building it more and more. You're so focused that you don't pay attention to the Frost members send an attack your way, but a wall of earth rises up and protects you. You continue to focus more of your chakra, and it starts to take form. It sparks sporadically and you can feel as your hands heat up. You hold your breath, and then you force the power to explode. Shards of metal go flying and lightning crackles around your hands. You release the breath you were holding and flex your fingers, and rotate your wrists.

"Oh, explosions? That's pretty dangerous," Tendō hums. "Didn't know you could do it. Most people these days don't use it since they're too afraid of blowing up their own limbs."

"As if you could expect less from the Dai," you say, as you look over your shoulder with a small grin, throwing off the robe on your shoulders.

You take in their expressions Semi and Ōhira both look at you with blatant concern that soon morphs into fondness when they see that you're alright. Yamagata and Tendō both laugh, a little in disbelief, but mostly amusement. Tunerk and the little boy look at you with awe. However, Ushijima looks at you with a soft look in his eyes. A look that fills you with warmth.

"Now, let's take these assholes down. And let's do it quick. I need a proper shower," you say as you shake out all the tension in your body, looking at the wall of earth.

You breathe in deeply feeling as moonlight shines down on you. The moon is singing to you. You feel power thrumming through your veins. However, the engravings in the ground suddenly light up glowing a beautiful array of colours. You tilt your head, and then look up at the crystals, watching as they glow even brighter than before. The chakra in the room weighs down on you heavier than usual, but you elect to ignore it. It doesn't hinder you, but it does feel as if its constantly looming over you.

You hear as more people come through the door, but your team takes care of them. You focus on the wall in front of you, raising your arms up, as you connect your chakra with the chakra that still lingers in the wall. You feel the way your power spreads through the wall, and you are sure that it is entirely under your command. You inhale, closing your eyes. You hold your breath for a few seconds and then you open your eyes. As you exhale you lower the wall, and stare at dozens of people standing between you and Atiqtaliq. They send two waves of water towards you from either side. You keep your eyes ahead, and hold your hands out on either side of yourself. Moments before the waves converge on you, you turn in a circle. You gain control of the water, and you can feel the weight of it as it moves with the movement of your arms. You plant both of your feet, swinging your arms forward, sending a large wave of water towards the group. The group turns it into smaller streams they can manage, however instead of waiting for their counter attack, you continue yours.

You plant your feet and thrust your hands forward, sending a strike of lightning towards them. They form a shield of ice. It shatters as soon as your lightning makes contact. In a flash you are standing feet away from where the shield had been. You flick your wrists, and the pieces of ice turn into water. You raise your hands and close them into fists. The water freezes into spears, and you swing your arms across your body, and the spears go flying down towards the group. Your head tilts when some of them don't shift the ice into water in time.

They come at you with anger. You can feel it in the air. They make their own spears of ice, but they are jagged. They all attack you at once, but you don't react. You feel a warmth around your waist and you are yanked back. A gust of wind slows you down and then you are caught in a warm and firm embrace.

"You shouldn't be off fighting off on your own. We're a team and we have your back," Ushijima tells you as he puts you back on the ground.

"I would have been fine," you tell him, but you make no move to run away as you break off the whips wrapped around your waist.

"I'm aware, but it's safer this way." He replies, giving you a firm glare.

You hum walking towards the two kids your team is protecting as you fight. You place your hands atop their heads, glancing between the two of them. "You two have nothing to worry about." You tell them. "They may be idiots, but they are capable and dependable. The six of us somehow survived five nests of Beasts. We're going to make it out and we'll be saving you, too."

"H-how can you be so sure?" The little boy asks.

You give him a small smile as you pull your hands away, and walk towards The Frost members as they send a large stream of water towards all of you. "I'm the Dai. Saving people is what I was born to do."

You thrust your arm out and the water splashes out as it makes contact with your palm. Ōhira stands beside you and the two of you sweep your arms to opposite sides, each taking control of half of the water. In tandem, the two of you wave your arms in a circular motion before swinging your arms forward and your two streams of water go rushing forwards. They twist around each other, turning into a rapid torpedo of water. It takes several of them to deflect it. You start to notice that a mist is starting to spread towards all of you. Yamagata creates several gusts of air to disperse the mist, however, more and more of it keeps coming. You move further away from the group to help dispel the mist, but it's useless.

You purse your lips and furrow your brows as the mist rolls in at your feet. You can feel panic crawling up your throat. You can barely feel anything through the sea of chakra that already occupies the room. With the mist you can feel almost nothing. You feel lost. You squeeze your eyes shut, trying to control your breathing. You nearly attack when you feel a hand on your shoulder, but when you feel the squeeze, when you feel their chakra, you let out a shaky exhale.

"Why are you scared? You can feel the earth," Ushijima tells you. You nod your head, trying to calm yourself down.

You let the warm weight of his hand on your shoulder soothe you. It helps ground you. The fear that was choking you dissipates and you feel at ease. You feel the stone beneath your feet. You can feel each step everyone takes. You can feel racing hearts. It vibrates through the earth.

You smile, and open your eyes to look over your shoulder at Ushijima. "Have you always been good at comforting people?"

"No. I only ever speak truthfully, and people usually do not find comfort in my words." He says, rather blankly. "I'm surprised that you do, to be honest. It's strange."

"Are you calling me 'weird?'" You ask, and he has a contemplative look. Your eyebrows furrow again. "You know what? Don't answer that."

You stomp your foot, raising a boulder that you kick in the direction of a large cluster of members of the Frost. You hear their shouts, but you ignore them and attack another group. To throw them off you raise wall to block paths and to try and split groups apart. You look over when you hear the sound of flames and the shattering of ice. You can barely see a wall of fire through the mist. You're curious as to what is happening, but then you hear the whistle of something flying past you. And then something lands at your feet.

You grimace at the sight of a spear of ice at your feet. More of them come flying towards you, and you do your best to dodge. You don't use fire so that you don't give them a more obvious target. The mist obscuring your vision makes it harder to change the spears into water. And you can't stop the spears in the same way you can stop water. Holding your palm out is just asking to get stabbed.

Your clothes start to get ripped as they get closer and closer. You feel stinging pain on your legs and arms from spears that had grazed you. You don't complain because a cut is nothing compared to getting stabbed.

Suddenly, there's the sound of something shattering and then Semi's fire goes out. You hear him curse and Tunerk's muffled scream. Immediately you begin to raise walls of stone on your way towards where you feel someone collapse, Ushijima right on your heels. When the two of you are with the group, you both raise up a dome to protect the group. You ignore the sound of the spears embedding themselves into the stone.

You slide onto your knees next to Semi, grimacing at the spear embedded in just above his chest near his shoulder. You can feel the way your anger slowly sinks its claws into your heart. You immediately transform the ice into water, and immediately start using it to heal him. However, he grabs onto your wrist with a shake of his head.

"Don't waste your chakra on me," he tells you through a strained voice.

"How did this happen? I though you and Tendō both had defenses up?" You question, still healing him, as you slowly stop the blood flow. 

"They made a spear big enough to shatter my barrier and to make it through Semi's fire without melting," Tendō explains, looking more grim than when he had almost died after the third nest.

Semi's weak grip gets a little firmer. "(y/n), stop. Don't waste your chakra. We don't have enough people for the Dai to spend her time trying to heal an injury I won't die from."

"He's right, (y/n). We're at a disadvantage now that they've taken out his shoulder. You need to be conservative with the use of your chakra," Ōhira says, however you continue to heal Semi.

"(y/n)." You feel Ushijima's hand on your shoulder. "Stop."

"But I have the chakra to do this. I'll be fine," you reply, firmly, trying to shake off his hand while still maintaining your form.

"(y/n), there are other prisoners, right?" Yamagata suddenly asks, and you purse your lips. "Right?"

"There are thirteen prisoners who act as slaves," Tunerk speaks up with a quivering voice. "One of them— a mother— is sick. She needs medical assistance immediately. I heard them say that th-they're just going to let her die."

You can feel everyone's eyes on you as you continue healing Semi's shoulder. You know what they're going to say. It makes you to sick to your stomach that they would be okay with it. That Semi is okay with it.

"(y/n), as the Dai, you have to put the lives of civilians above your team. We need to focus on getting the prisoners out of—"

"I know!" You snarl, and you can feel the way that everyone freezes and the ground shake. Semi breaks the silence with a hiss when you freeze the water in his wound. You let your head hang and your arms drop. "I know, okay?"

Ushijima's hand moves from your shoulder to your head. He gives you a gentle pat. You try to swallow down your frustration. You try to ignore that part of you that you have never actively reached out for. You raise your head and look around when Ushijima steps back.

"Having three people who aren't able to protect themselves is going to be nothing but a disadvantage. We need to get them out of here." You explain, and everyone nods. "However, if we all go then they're just going to follow us. It's me they want."

You see how their expressions convey their disapproval. They know you. They know what you're going to say. "(y/n)—"

"I'll go towards the cells and the rest of you will head to the exit. I can hold out on my own long enough," you say, pushing yourself to a standing position. "This isn't up for argument."

You can see the desire to disagree in their eyes, but they all eventually nod their heads. As the others get ready to run, you and Ushijima set up at different ends of the dome. In sync, the two of you plant one foot firmly, and then step towards the wall of the dome before you push with both of your hands. It sends the two halves scraping in opposite directions and the others begin to run, with you and Ushijima hot on your heels.

Your heart races as you keep your eyes ahead of you. You watch as they all run, with Ōhira and Yamagata running with one of the kids over their shoulders. You keep your gaze on them as you all move down the hallway. You can hear the many footsteps of the people chasing you. You glance behind you, eyes narrowing when you see Atiqtaliq running alongside them.

You look back ahead. For an older woman, she has decent stamina.

Once you arrive at a fork in the hallway, your team immediately turns right. You slam your hand against the wall, creating a wall of stone that cuts off the path leading to the exit. You whip around, trying to deflect the attack. However, you're surprised when it's a whip of water that wraps around your wrist. You force a shock of lightning down your arm, electrocuting the person and the water falls with a splash as they lose control.

You continue running straight down the hallway, however you nearly stop at Atiqtaliq's command. "Half of you go follow the Dai. The rest of you come with me to kill the rest of them. Do not kill the Dai we still need her. The others are disposable."

You glance over your shoulder to see several of them following after you, but the rest had stopped. Those at the wall create drills of ice and water to break down the wall. Your panic and anger feels as if they're choking you, and you immediately turn around, running straight towards the people running towards you.

You try and force your way through, keeping your eyes on the wall even as they try to stop you. They attack you with projectiles of ice and try to hold you back with whips of water. They even throw water at your feet, freezing it to try and stop you in your tracks. However, you shift the projectiles into water. You turn the whips that wrap around you into ice, breaking it off. You set your limbs on fire to melt through the water thrown at your feet.

One of them manages to wrap a whip around your throat, tugging you back nearly strangling you. However, you place your hand on your throat and send a pulse that causes a small convulsion to run through your own body. But you shake it off and move on. You ignore the dull sting of cuts and the bruises as you keep your eyes zeroed in on the crumbling wall. Your pain is meaningless. Your team needs you.

If you had a clear mind, you're sure that the old man would have been disappointed. He would have yelled at you for being blindsided by your panic, for being irrational. You would be disappointed in yourself. You would not have let them get a single hit on you if you were in the right state of mind. But you are desperate.

They are all you have left. You can't lose them. You can't.

But the wall still crumbles, and they make their way through. You can only watch as they start sending their attacks through. You can hear their shouts as they send commands to each other, as they try and work together to take away everything that you have.

You're losing yourself, you know you are. That piece of you that you don't really know is starting to make its way out as you try and fight your way through. You don't even feel like you're in your own body anymore. You can feel all of them around you. You can feel their hearts pumping. You can feel their _blood_.

Your fingers twitch. They are aching to do something you don't really know how to do. But you know that you're willing. You're willing to concede to that instinct because it will get you closer. It will help you reach them.

_Do it. They're holding you back_.

You stomp the ground and raise pillars around you to throw them off balance.

_Do it. They ruin everything._

You punch someone with a fist encased in lighting when they step into your way.

 _Do it._ _They took everything you love._

You hear your team's shouts.

_Do it. They'll do it again._

You finally reach out for that part of you. You pull it to the surface, just letting your body guide you. You raise your hands feeling connections snap into place. You tense your hands, and everyone around you freezes. You can't even register the fear in their faces when they realize that they can't move. Their body trembles as they try to fight against whatever is holding them in place. As they are forced to their knees when your hands lower, they realize that it's _you._

"Stay out of my way," you say, glancing around as they look up at you with fear. "If you try and stop me, I will stop your hearts."

You release them, and a chill runs down your spine, as you try to shake off whatever is clouding your judgement. However, you can still feel it lingering. You run through the remains of the wall. You can see that they have split up your team, and they try their best to fend them off, while protecting the children.

You hear Tunerk scream, and your eyes hone in on her lone figure. Your eyes look for Yamagata, and you see him struggling to stand up, using the wall next to him as a support. She quivers as Atiqtaliq advances towards her.

"You insolent brat! You dare turn on us when we were the ones who were going to give you the greatest gift? Who saved you? Who protected you? Who taught you? We raised you, and yet you betray us?!" She seethes, and you can see how Tunerk is shaking.

She's absolutely terrified, but she doesn't look away. She stays standing, slowly stepping back as Atiqtaliq and two others advance towards her. You can hear the rattle of her chains with every step. You can see the tears in her eyes. You can feel her racing heart. She's doing her best to be brave, but she can't fight back.

She needs you.

One of Atiqtaliq's subordinates shares their water with her, and the older woman creates a spear of ice. You look away slightly, immediately making eye contact with Ushijima. He looks at you with concern seeing the look in your eyes, and then he looks over at Tunerk. He shakes his head, but he should know you've already made up your mind.

And if you were in the right state of mind you would have just created a barrier. You would have raised a wall of stone. You would have done anything else. But you're not in the right state of mind.

Moments before Atiqtaliq throws the spear, you appear in front of Tunerk in a flash. She squints, eyes blinking to try and adjust. Her eyes widen and she looks at you again fear. She's not afraid of you. She's afraid for you. She calls your name but the spear has already left Atiqtaliq's hand. You offer Tunerk one last smile.

There's the sound of flesh being pierced. There's a loud grunt of pain. There's a heavy silence.

But there is no pain.

Slowly, you turn around. And your throat constricts.

It's Ushijima standing there. You can barely see the blood steadily dripping off the tip of a spear through his abdomen. He staggers forward, and you catch him. He's leaning on you for support, but his arms do not reach out for you. He's warm. He's so warm. Your hands start to feel wet. Wet and warm. Your hand tightens into the back of his shirt. You can barely see over his shoulders and you immediately notice the spear sticking out of his back. You squeeze your eyes shut, trying to force out the image of your mother facedown in red-stained snow with spears of ice sticking out of her back.

You let out a shaky exhale. You can barely feel as his chest expands with a slow breath. You swallow down the lump in your throat.

"Wakatoshi?"

He doesn't respond. He's breathing but he does not respond.

"It serves him right for getting in my way."

Your eyes snap open and you glare at the woman before you. The woman who had helped take everything that you ever loved. The woman who leads the people who kill without remorse. The woman who would sacrifice a child without hesitation. You hate her.

You fucking _hate_ her.

Everyone feels as the atmosphere changes. They can feel the heaviness that settles over all of them. There's an overwhelming presence. It's imposing. It's weighing down on them. It's coming from you.

You shake with barely contained rage and power. The Frost members begin to move towards Atiqtaliq, standing in front of her protectively. Your team comes towards you slowly. They don't want to startle you. They don't want to set you off. However, you don't lash out, and you gently hand off Ushijima to your team. But you don't look away from the woman before you.

"None of you will change my mind. Take him and get out of here. He and Semi need medical attention," you say, with a voice void of emotion. "I will save the prisoners. And I will force The Frost to its knees."

You wipe your bloodstained hands against your pants. You do not care how it smears and stains the fabric. It does not matter.

They don't move for a moment, but eventually everyone behind you leaves. They don't say anything. You don't either.

Your hands are trembling, fingers twitching. The power is building. It is going to burst. The five elements are singing to you. An ancient power is calling out to you.

At their testimonies, surviving Frost members will report seeing your iris and pupils disappearing as your eyes glowed with a bright light. They will speak about how your gaze commanded their surrender. They will speak of the fear and chills that ran down their spines when your booming voice echoed.

**_"How dare you?"_ **

***

He wakes up with a dull ache in his body, and he's looking up at a ceiling he doesn't really recognize. It smells like disinfectant. He's participated in many battles and fights. He's never had to go the infirmary as he's never sustained any serious injuries. This might be his second time in his entire ever having to go to one. 

When he looks out the window, he sees nothing but tundras. So he must still be somewhere in Tougen. He hopes you are nearby. He misses you, and the two of you haven't had a proper conversation even after he found you.

Are you well? You went into the Dai State just before he had passed out. And from what he's heard, it takes a huge toll and a lot of chakra if you're not in control. And he doesn't think you were in control. From what he had seen, you were quite angry. He wasn't quite sure if it was the blood loss, but your voice may have echoed in that room, booming with your fury. Are you also somewhere in this place, lying down in a bed? Are you—

"Wakatoshi?" Your voice breaks through his thoughts.

He turns his head, and sees you standing in the doorway. You look like you had been turned into the statue in the middle of opening the door. Your eyes are wide with disbelief, and your jaw has dropped. You have deep bags under your eyes and look like you haven't slept in days. Seeing you hurts his heart and eases him all at once.

"Good morning," he croaks.

Immediately you appear on the chair by his side. You raise your hand to reach out to him, but then immediately let it fall on the bed as your mouth opens to speak. Despite the dull ache, he lifts his own hand, and takes your hand in his own. He looks at you imploringly, as your eyes glisten with unshed tears. With the strength he has, he squeezes your hand, and your lips curve into a quivering smile.

"It's one in the afternoon," you tell him with a voice full of emotion, as you hand him a glass of water by his bedside.

With your free hand, you support the back of his his head as he takes a sip. When he's done, you slowly lower his head, before grabbing the glass to put it back on the bedside table next to you. He clears his throat to speak more clearly. "Good afternoon then."

You give a wet laugh. "You've been keeping me waiting. You've been sleeping for about a week, you know? You really had me worried."

"I'm sorry to have worried you," he apologizes, feeling bad knowing he was the source of your stress.

"Why are you apologizing, you big buffoon?" You scoff, though you sound awfully choked up. "You nearly died protecting me, and _I_ nearly died because I lost control like some kind of fucking idiot."

"You nearly died?" He questions, looking over you with concern.

"That's what you focus on? I was back up and functioning nearly a day after we got here, and you hadn't shown a single sign of waking up. God, I bawled like a baby when they finally let me see you." You tell him, but his gaze tells you that he wants you to explain. "I was angry. So angry at some point it felt like I didn't have just my anger. I lost control and I used a lot of chakra just to try and get to Atiqtaliq. So much that I nearly depleted my reserve and I just started taking the chakra around me and using it until I had nothing left. I singlehandedly forced The Frost to surrender."

He remains silent for a moment, taking in your words before he speaks "I see. I'm glad you are okay now. Though you look like you haven't been getting sleep."

"Between signing documents, Tunerk, dealing with the aftermath, and watching you to make sure you don't die, I haven't been sleeping all that well." You say with a shrug of your shoulders. "Sorry I wasn't here when you woke up."

"I was quite worried about you when I awoke. But to see you relatively unharmed brings me peace. Is everyone else well?" He asks, squeezing your hand again.

"Yes, you big-hearted fool," you sniffle, your tears finally falling. You take his hand in both of your own, pressing your forehead to your joint hands.

"Please don't cry. It makes me unhappy." He tells you, and he can barely see the hints of a smile.

"Gods, you big fucking idiot. I adore you." You lift your head, and give him a smile despite your tears. You heave out a shaky sigh, gently pressing your lips to his wrist. It makes his heart flutter, and you smile at him once more. "Thanks for saving me by getting impaled in my place, but never do it again."

"Well I think that most people and even the Dai herself forgets that the Dai is just a person who sometimes needs to be saved as well. So I will never regret what I did, and would gladly do it again and again." He replies, resolutely, and he can see the flash of surprise in your eyes. But then you grimace.

"I wish I could say that I won't ever get myself into a situation like that so you don't try and die for me, but I'm the Dai and it's sort of my job to throw myself into danger to protect the world and keep the peace." You tell him, slowly loosening your grip on his hand. However, he squeezes your hand, catching you off guard. "Wakatoshi?"

It was rather impulsive on his part, but he couldn't stand the look on your face. You don't look good unhappy. He doesn't want you to be unhappy.

"We can do it together." He says, rather resolutely.

"I— what?" You ask, incredulousness seeping into your voice.

"It must be a difficult task to protect this world all on your own." He looks into your eyes, keeping a firm gaze. "I want to be here to support you, (y/n). When it gets hard I want to be the one you can turn to. I want to be the pillar of strength that supports you."

You glance at him in stunned silence, jaw dropped. He waits patiently for you to take in his words, to see how you will respond. Your eyes fill with tears once more, tightening your grip on his hands once more, looking down at the floor. "You want to support me?"

"Yes."

"Even if I get too angry and have a lot of issues I'm still dealing with?"

"Yes."

"Even if I'm impulsive and decided to adopt a kid I knew for less than a week?"

"Even then."

"Even if—"

The sound of rustling sheets makes you shut your mouth, and you peek up curiously at Ushijima. The beautiful maroon gem that is his Heartstone is in his hand. Your eyes widen as he starts to hold it out to you. You can't help but continuously glance between his hand and his expectant face. You pull your hands away, and immediately wrap his fingers back around his stone with a shake of your head. He immediately feels a small pang in his heart, recognizing that you are rejecting his Heartstone. However, he understands. It was rather impulsive on his part and—

"I'm not accepting your Heartstone like that. Aren't you moving too fast? We haven't even gone on an actual date yet." You're shaking your head, but you have a fond smile on your lips. It puts him at ease. "And aren't you supposed to give it to me in the form of some pretty jewelry?" You ask, leaning closer, your smile slowly getting wider.

He can't help his own smile, adjusting the position of his head on his pillow so that the two of you are even closer. "That is true. What would you prefer when I do ask you?"

"Well aren't you confident?" You chuckle, your face hovering inches from his own. "But a necklace will do just fine."

"I'll keep it in mind," he hums, eyes flashing down to your smiling lips.

The curl of your lips when you smile has always been attractive. But he wants to know how your lips will feel against his. There's a moment of silence, the two of you taking in the close proximity. Eyes sharing glances and then flashing down to lips. Eventually, you breathe out a soft "fuck it."

You lean forward, closing the distance and pressing your lips to his, eyes slowly closing. Your hand lets go of his Heartstone and cups his cheek. It's a clumsy kiss. The both of you are inexperienced and a little unfamiliar when it comes to intimacy. It kind of makes you laugh and you smile into the kiss before you pull away to catch your breath.

"Was that bad?" He asks you, and you shake your head.

"How would I know?" You quietly laugh, as you open your eyes to glance into his own. You can see the flecks of gold in his irises. They look so pretty and you could get lost in them forever. "But I don't really care. Do you?"

"No." He sounds breathless. It makes your heart race. "Kiss me again."

He doesn't need to ask twice. You lean in again, however you don't immediately go for his lips. You kiss the corner of his eye. Trailing kisses across his cheek and then his nose. You press another kiss to his other cheek, feeling as the corner of his lips raise into a smile. You pepper more kisses across his jawline and chin. You kiss the upturned corners of his mouth before you finally kiss his lips. The hand not holding his Heartstone cups the back of your head.

Your heart is racing but also filled with so much warmth.

You won't say that you love him. Not yet. You wouldn't marry him right in this moment, but maybe you would in the future. But you should stay in this moment with him. You should enjoy this, enjoy him to the fullest. Or maybe not.

You might get addicted to the feeling of his lips on yours.

"(y/n)!" You hear as the door suddenly opens, and you immediately jump back. Ushijima hisses at your sudden movement that had moved his arm a bit too abruptly.

"Fuck, Wakatoshi, sorry." You apologize, gently taking his wrist, and placing it back at his side. "Tendō, you scared the absolute shit out of me."

You look at the remaining members of your team and Tunerk standing in the doorway, looking at the two of you with wide eyes. You can feel a blush crawl up your neck and you clear your throat, trying to figure out how you're going to explain what just happened. You glance at Ushijima, watching as he casually tucks his Heartstone away.

"Wakatoshi woke up and you didn't even say anything?" Tendō exclaims. "That's so unfair."

"(y/n), you were supposed to notify a Healer as soon as he woke up," Ōhira gently scolds you with a smile on his face.

"Yeah. Yeah." You nod your head with a small smile as you slowly stand up after gently patting Ushijima on the cheek. "You guys catch up with him and try not to stress him out while I get one of the Healers. I'll be back."

You walk past all of them, listening to their excited chatter as they speak with Ushijima. You pause in the doorway, looking back over your shoulder. You watch as Ushijima greets them. He even gives Tunerk a pat on the head, thanking her for being brave. He has a subtle smile on his lips as he nods to whatever Yamagata is saying. He glances at you, and his smile grows the slightest bit before he looks back at the wind-user to respond.

You turn back around, and walk out of the room to actually find a Healer. However, you pause when you feel Tunerk coming towards you. She walks beside you, and you sling your arm around her shoulders, the two of you walking together.

"What's up, kid?" You ask, smiling down on her. "Did you have fun going out doing whatever you did with those dumbasses?"

"Yeah," she trails off, sounding a little nervous, making you stop again. You tilt your head, looking down at her.

"What's wrong? Did something happen?" You ask, concerned. "What's got you all nervous?"

"It's nothing bad. It's just I got you a gift, and I guess I'm just nervous you won't like it," she mumbles, looking away.

"Aw, Tunerk! You're my kid now," you croon, pulling her into a hug. She wraps her own arms around you, sinking into your embrace. "If I didn't like something you gave to me, I would just lie."

You tighten your embrace with a laugh as she tries to push away from you, with loud complaints. "You're the worst!"

Your body shakes with laughter as you hold onto her with one hand. You try to put your other hand over her mouth. "Be quiet. We're in an infirmary and you're going to disturb the other patients." You tell her through your laughter. "Just give me whatever it is. You're a thoughtful and kind kid. I'm sure I'll love whatever it is you have to give."

She pulls your hand over her mouth with a huff. "Fine. But you can't laugh at me, okay?"

"Okay." You nod your head, smiling fondly at her and letting her go.

She steps back and reaches into the pocket of her jacket. She takes a deep breath, looking the other way before she holds out a beautiful flask to you. You smile as you take it, realizing that it's already been filled. You admire the details of it, the engravings into the leather.

"This is beautiful Tunerk." You pop off the cap. "What's inside it th—"

"Don't drink it!" She hisses, and you pause and look at her for an explanation. "While you were watching Ushijima, we went back to the waterfall so we could collect the water. So whenever you decide to propose to him, you can use the most sacred water that Tougen has to offer."

You remain silent, letting her words sink in. She has a cute little blush on her cheeks and she looks incredibly nervous.

"What makes you so sure I'm gonna marry Wakatoshi? I could meet someone else who would sweep me off my feet," you tease her. Her blush gets a little darker, but she smirks nonetheless.

"I didn't say his name."

You blink. Your face feels like its on fire and you close the cap of the flask as you start stalking your way towards Tunerk. "You little _shit_." She cackles, even when you place her in a chokehold and dig your knuckles into the top of her head. "Listen here, you little asshole. As soon as we get a Healer to check on Wakatoshi I'm throwing you into a snowbank."

Once you've decided that she's had enough you pull away, and continue walking down the hallway. "But thanks, Tunerk. I'll put it to good use when the time comes. If you want, I'll teach you how to carve. And if you want to get married, I'll get you water from the waterfall."

Your word stun her, and she stays standing there for a couple seconds. She beams at you as you walk away, and jogs to catch up to you. You wrap your arm around her shoulders again, making her feel safe, protected and loved.

She wonders what life is going to be like with you.

~~She also wonders when you'll propose to Wakatoshi.~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is straight up bad fucking GARBAGE maybe i'll rewrite the ending but i just wanted to get something out tbh
> 
> talk to me on [tumblr](https://llllver.tumblr.com)


	12. adventures

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> you're getting old, but you still have many adventures left.

You move around your kitchen, cooking breakfast for your husband and yourself. You occasionally glance outside through the screen door to look at him working hard in the field behind your home. You should be out there helping him out, but he had insisted that he would plant the rice while you cooked breakfast when you tried to get out of bed with him. He had rolled out of bed after giving you a chaste kiss on the lips, and telling you to go back to sleep while he got ready.

It makes you smile slightly. He acts like you’re the one who’s retired and needs rest, but as far as you’re concerned, you’re not retired until you’re on your deathbed.

You hadn’t fallen back asleep right away despite his words. Instead, you had watched him get ready as he changed. You get a little sleepier, as he takes his time doing so.

The two of you are halfway into your fifties, but he still somehow maintains a very good physique. He’s got a little more fat on him than when he was younger, but you love it and constantly remind him of that every time you pinch his waist with a fond little ‘squish.’ Before he had left this morning, he had given you a kiss on the forehead, while you drowsily squish his waist, mumbling a ‘squish’ before your heavy eyelids close.

You had woken up twenty minutes later. You freshen up, and change into your own clothes. The first thing you do is tend to your garden, making sure that your flowers are properly watered. Next, you tend to your hens and turtle ducks. Once you’ve cleaned the coops, collected the eggs, and checked on the pond, you go back inside to make breakfast. You clean and cook the rice before you make a rolled omelette and miso soup. You hum to yourself as you stir the soup, the eggs and rice already waiting on the table. You fill two bowls and go to place them down on the table.

Just as you pull your hands away you feel a tingling running up your spine. You grab onto the back of one of the chairs at the table when you feel a searing pain in the middle of your back. You rest your forehead on the back of your hand, bringing your other hand to your mouth. You bite down onto your hand, trying to hold back a pained scream. You scrunch your eyes closed, eyebrows furrowing. Your body shakes with your contained scream

The pain eventually subsides and you release your hand, gasping for air. There’s a dull sting where your teeth are now indented into your skin. With shaking legs, you slowly pull the chair out, and collapse into it. You place your forehead on the cool wood of your kitchen table. You try to steady your breathing, so that you can think a little more clearly.

Whatever just happened is not a daily occurence. You might be getting older, and some of your kids might jokingly call you a ‘hag,’ and your body might occasionally crack an obscenely large amount, but you doubt that it’s just some back pain from old age.

But then it hits you.

You slowly raise your head and stare at the pictures hanging on the wall in front of you. Pictures that document your life. A picture from your first official public appearance. Pictures of you in each tribe’s robes for the Dai. Pictures of you travelling the world during the summer with your family. Photos of your children and grandchildren throughout the years. Pictures of your husband’s many promotions, medal ceremonies, and his eventual retirement. Photos with his parents and grandmother. Photos from your wedding day. A photo of the two of you standing proudly in front of your house with a beautiful field of rice in the background. A photo of him tending to your crops. A photo of him being followed by baby turtle ducks. A photo of you taking care of your garden. Photos with your pseudo nephews and nieces. Photos with your team.

You’ve lived quite a fulfilling life, haven’t you?

You glance over at the sculpture perched in the middle of the kitchen table. The swan glistening slightly in the morning sun. You play with the pendant of your necklace. A small smile pulls at your lips. You look out the screen door when you hear your husband climbing up the steps of the back porch. You watch as he takes off his boots before he opens the screen door to come inside.

He looks good. The sleeves of his shirt rolled up, revealing muscled, tan arms. He’s sweating from all his hard work, but his breathing is steady as if he hadn’t done anything strenuous.

You’ve been married for years but your heart fills up with so much love when you see him. That’s your husband. You are married. You adopted kids together. You own a house together. You own a farm together. You travelled alone for years, but your favourite moments were spent with him and your family.

“Wakatoshi?” You speak up.

“Yes?” He hums, as he takes off his hat and places it on the counter. He looks at you, head tilting at the content gleam in your eyes.

“How do you feel about going off on an adventure?” You say, smile slowly growing wider.

“I would not mind. I’ll just ask one of the kids or perhaps one of the older grandkids to watch the farm.” He replies, watching you as you stand up from the chair, reaching your hand out to him. “It’s summer so I’m sure at least one of them will be able to."

“Well, let’s finish our breakfast. You call one one the kids, and I’ll get packing. We have another kid to find.”

“Are we growing our family again?”

You love him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ushijima: are we adopting another kid?  
> y/n: yes. no. maybe? idk i'll let you know when we get there
> 
> thank you for reading my garbo fic!! very much appreciated and ily for it. if you made it here?? thx i cant believe you made it through
> 
> talk to me on [tumblr](https://llllver.tumblr.com)


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